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.

31. More Guest Stars Than You Can Shake a

Sailor Moon X: Lunar Eclipse

a Sailor Moon/X-Men crossover

Chapter 31: More Guest Stars Than You Can Shake a Tiara At!

7-8-2018

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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JunJun impatiently paced the halls of what was to be the new corporate headquarters of that toy company. It seemed like such a good idea before. When Sailor Moon got herself on television, pleading to everyone in Japan, the Amazoness Quartet agreed to join in. The Sailor Senshi could be preachy and overbearing, but they did owe them, and this would more than make up for all the grief they had caused in the past.

Although it could be argued the Sailor Senshi helped the Amazoness Quartet see the light, some things just wouldn't change. Ordinary girls they may be now, but they still detested boredom. Oh, it was fun as first. Challenging, too. Coming up with ways to prank cops and mercenaries without their powers, tripping them up so they could spirit the mutants they were after to safety. It also felt good, being up to their old tricks and doing it for a good cause.

But it wasn't long before just about all the mutants in Tokyo and the surrounding wards were hidden here and at the Ryuuzaki mansion. Things swiftly switched to simply keeping watch over the two safehouses while the Sailor Senshi, and probably those X-Men, got to have all the fun.

They better appreciate this, JunJun fumed as she treaded the halls. It's not like they've been the most supportive type since they convinced us to smash the balls. It was like, "OK, you've given up on eternal youth, now good luck." Not to mention...

JunJun was snapped out of her sulking when she heard faint voices. Voices from people about her age?

Curious, JunJun walked toward the source. There was a door at the end of the hall, slightly ajar. Cautiously, she peeked through it.

At first, all JunJun could see was the back of some girl with long, purplish-black hair. She seemed to be holding some sort of camera. "Ooooh, it's great that I was finally able to complete your new battle costume, Sakura! You really do look the part, considering who we're helping out."

JunJun figured this girl decked her friend in some facsimile of a sailor fuku. But when she stepped aside, shooting from another angle, JunJun saw that wasn't quite the case.

The one wearing the 'battle costume' was the same age as the other girl, with short, auburn-brown hair. And she had a flummoxed, nervous expression. If she had to wear get-ups like that on a regular basis, JunJun didn't blame her. Her face was partially obscured by a dark-pink hood and cape, and a big bow fastened them in the front. She had a mask too, shaped like two pink wings with dark lenses.

But what stood out most was the chest piece. It was composed of armored plates, most a bright pink. However, there was yellow as well, forming an X over her chest. That was what the other girl must've meant by 'looking the part'. Though she did sport a poofy pink skirt with yellow trim. All in all, however, the 'battle costume' looked quite practical. Thick leggings, elbowpads and kneepads, along with boots and gauntlets with the same protective plating, completed the outfit.

"You look lovely, Sakura! Just like a superhero!" the girl with the camera went on. "Oh, I wonder if I'll get a chance to film you in action with it!"

"Uhhh, you really think it'll come to that, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked delicately.

"Well, if it does, that costume looks a bit sturdier than Tomoyo's usual fare," came another voice, this one a boy's. "Though it's not too good for camouflage. Don't the actual X-Men's uniforms let them blend into the night?"

The boy suddenly stepped into view. Like you can talk, kid, with those bright green robes I could slice through with a butterknife, JunJun mused.

"Aw c'mon, Syaoran! It's all about having your heart in the right place!" came the voice of a third girl. "That's why Tomoyo helped me replace the yin-yang on my robes with THIS!" A girl with black hair done up in twintails similar to Usagi's stepped up, proudly puffing out her chest. There was indeed a big, circular X emblem on her robes.

"Uh, come to think of it Meiling, don't we have to be mutants to wear this symbol?" Sakura asked sheepishly.

"Or at least have some sort of special power," Syaoran added bluntly.

"Well, since I wasn't born with magic, I'm holding out hope I get to be a mutant!" Meiling cried. "I wake up each morning hoping that, I dunno, I can shoot laser beams out of my eyes or something."

Tomoyo suddenly looked concerned. "Meiling, I think the X-Man who CAN do that can't really control that power."

Meiling's face screwed up in annoyance. "Oh, piss all over a girl's dreams, why don't you!?"

Dreams... Don't these X-Men also have this dream, one they keep fighting for? JunJun wondered. During her time with the Dead Moon Circus, they had sought to forcibly peer into people's dreams, or let Lemures eat them to swell their ranks. The Sailor Senshi, of course, fought them tooth and nail, until finally getting through to the four of them. Is that why Usagi was so invested in this? Did she believe in this dream as strongly as these X-Men did?

As these questions plagued JunJun, a blaring alarm suddenly went off. Down the hall, she heard soldiers from the Mendou conglomerate's private army bark orders to each other and march out. This could only mean one thing: the building was under attack. Sighing, she ran after them, and this took JunJun back out into the main lobby.

JunJun pushed past some people. She ignored annoyed grunts from this girl with a spatula strapped to her back, and a tall buxom woman in a nurse's uniform. Finally, she spotted her three closest friends, and with them were those four Ayakashi Sisters.

JunJun smiled to herself. They were all supposed to be good guys now. However, over the last few days, the eight of them had delighted in swapping stories of how they had tormented the Sailor Senshi. There was no laughter between them now, however.

"What's going on?" JunJun asked. "Why the alarm?"

"Take a look out there," said Koan fearfully, pointing up.

The front lobby of the building had fanciful glass windows going up several stories. Through them, JunJun could see several large shapes drop down out of the night sky. For the first time since Zirconia had turned on them, JunJun felt a shiver of fear.

"Aren't those Sentinels!?" she cried out, her voice almost drowned out by the booming of them crashing down onto asphalt. "Didn't that blue furry guy give Ami gizmos that jammed those things scanning for mutant DNA!?"

"Evidently, they are no longer effective," said CereCere.

"Or someone ratted us out," Berthier spat. "Oooooh, it's like I told Ami... What I wouldn't give to undo our purification so we could lay down the law!"

"I sure wouldn't mind us Amazonesses having our power back either," JunJun grumbled. She looked up at those Sentinels taking position outside. All of them had their right arms turned into miniguns, aiming at the front lobby. And JunJun doubted that businesswoman had invested in bulletproof glass.

JunJun heard those soldiers taking up positions and readying weapons. But if these things gave those X-Men and even the Sailor Senshi trouble, there wasn't much they could do.

But then, out the corner of her eye, JunJun saw that Sakura girl stride past those soldiers, cape fluttering. She clutched some weird, pink staff. At the end, there was a hoop housing a golden star, with wings at either side. She was marching right for the front entrance, as if to take the Sentinels on.

"Wait, what are you planning to do!?" Syaoran demanded, running after her.

Meiling snorted. "We're under siege by giant killer robots built to resist the Sailor Senshi's elemental power. What do you THINK she's gonna do!?"

Syaoran looked to Meiling in shock, then back to Sakura. "But I thought you hated using that card..."

Sakura looked over her shoulder. JunJun caught the sheepish look through her mask's lenses. "Like Meiling said, it's not like there's a choice."

She looked ahead again and resumed her march toward the entrance. The soldiers called for her to get back, but the girl ignored them. Sakura kicked open the glass doors, calmly stepped outside and went down the steps. The Sentinels closest to the front of the building aimed their miniguns down at her, but didn't fire. Sakura said she wasn't a mutant, so naturally, the Sentinels wouldn't go after her. At least, not immediately. But just what did she plan to do?

Curious, JunJun crept closer for a better look. She could hear the other Amazonesses and the Ayakashi Sisters cautiously follow close behind. As those Sentinels stared down at the girl, she whipped out two pink card with strange, ornate designs on the back. They seemed to flutter in midair above her. And then, JunJun heard Sakura shout, "Transform me into a towering powerhouse who'll crush any who dare threaten those under our protection... BIG! POWER!"

Her staff touched the hovering cards, and the very air around Sakura resonated with some strange power. What looked like lightning arced around her, washing over her along with shearing winds. And then, to JunJun's amazement, the girl began to grow! She shot up in height, and in no time at all, the Sentinels had to look UP at Sakura! When her body finally stopped expanding, she had to be at least three times their size! Despite the height of the windows at the front lobby, JunJun couldn't even see Sakura's head and shoulders anymore!

For once, JunJun had no words. This girl thought she wasn't qualified to wear something like a X-Man's uniform!?

Some of the crowd behind her gasped or shouted. Only VesVes and Petz blurted out what everyone must've been thinking: "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"

"I bet those Sentinels are thinking something similar," Calaveras muttered.

JunJun could only nod, wondering how those overgrown toy soldiers were processing this turn of events. But what went through the head of the closest Sentinel was a wing on Sakura's staff. She swung it down like an axe, decapitating it with one swipe. JunJun turned and watched its head fly down the street, out of sight. When JunJun looked back, Sakura grabbed the head of the next Sentinel and hoisted it up. With a howl of fury, Sakura clenched her hand into a fist. The Sentinel's lifeless body fell back down to the street, sparks flying from where its head used to be.

"Where can PallaPalla get cards like that!? Are they next to the Yu-Gi-Oh starter decks?" PallaPalla shrieked. Sakura moved in to strike down a third, but the Sentinels were finally fighting back. They opened fire with their miniguns, some of them taking to the air. Sakura grunted as she tried to sidestep them, but didn't fall back. In fact, she waded into their onslaught, each step making the lobby shake.

Another swipe from her staff took out a Sentinel hovering nearby. The rest kept up the pressure, but JunJun saw their bullets bounce harmlessly off Sakura's chestpiece. Tomoyo had done her job well. Only fire directed at Sakura's face had any effect. Even then, shots aimed at her eyes rebounded off the thick lenses of her mask.

Not to mention, it just pissed Sakura off even more. Another cry of rage, another swipe from her staff, another Sentinel tumbling down to the street below. It rolled toward the building, smashing into part of the lobby's windows, uncomfortably close to the Amazoness Quartet and Ayakashi Sisters. Many of them yelped as they fell back, JunJun included. Even downed, it fired back up at Sakura with its minigun and some weird energy blaster housed in its left hand.

It didn't even slow Sakura down. With another angry howl, Sakura raised one foot and brought it down hard. Just about everyone in the lobby cried out. It was like an earthquake hit, and then Sakura stomped on it again. JunJun watched in awe as that massive, pink armored boot came down onto the Sentinel's head and torso, shattering its faceplate. Its sallow eyes finally blew out.

But the Sentinels were getting smarter. JunJun could see more of them closing in. They were keeping their distance now, firing missiles, and then using those jet engines fixed into their chests to fire blasts of intense heat, almost like plasma. Amazingly, growing that big didn't slow Sakura down. She ducked and weaved around their barrage as best she could, with grace that even JunJun kind of envied.

Unfortunately, as wide as the street was, Sakura didn't have much room to maneuver. Even worse, more Sentinels showed up to flank her. While the ones in front kept firing, those creeping up on Sakura piled onto her, like wolves trying to bring down much larger prey.

"Oh no you don't!" Sakura cried. She reached behind her to grab one on them. She promptly hurled it away. It wound up smashing through several stories of a building across the street. But the rest were persistent, and for a moment it looked like sheer weight of numbers would bring Sakura down.

The right arm of one Sentinel holding on... Instead of a minigun, it became some sort of sword. It thrust it into Sakura's back, and she cried out in pain. JunJun's hands flew to her mouth. Were there gaps in those armored plates? How deep had the blade gone? Worse, some of those missiles were hitting their mark. It looked like Sakura was about to fall to her knees.

"That's it! I'm going out there!" Syaoran shouted. JunJun saw him draw a sword and dash through the hole in the glass, ignoring all the people telling him to stay inside. He pulled out a scrap of paper not unlike what Rei used, placing it in front of his sword. "Thunder God, answer my call!"

Lightning bolts lanced out, striking some of the Sentinels dogpiling Sakura. They didn't look particularly hurt. If Sailor Jupiter had trouble blowing these things away, no surprise this kid wasn't doing any better. He did, however, disorient some of them, letting Sakura get her second wind and chuck more off. Sakura threw one at Sentinels concentrating their fire on her, taking out a couple more.

Now some of the Sentinels were focusing on Syaoran. He used a different spell to propel himself up onto a lamppost to evade minigun fire. A missile from another one took out the lamppost's base. It tumbled down, bringing a screaming Syaoran down with it.

Before he could splatter onto the street, Sakua suddenly shouted, "WINDY!" Something whooshed down and snatched Syaoran up, bringing him up to Sakura's shoulder just as she had rid herself of the last Sentinel clinging to her. Then that weird creature of pale wind rushed forward to ensnare a couple of hovering Sentinels firing at her, but there were still more.

"Syaoran, I'm going in! Watch my back!" Just as some of the Sentinels blasted her with flame jets from their chests, Sakura marched forward, raising an armored gauntlet to shield herself. Meanwhile, Syaoran clung to the back of Sakura's hood, using his magic to pelt any Sentinels trying to flank her.

Everyone in the lobby was transfixed by the battle unfolding outside. Even those soldiers, who were supposed to be trained professionals, were dumbstruck by how their job was being done for them by a 'little' girl. It wasn't long before stray bullets smashed through what was left of the glass, coaxing everyone to fall back further.

At least, most of them were. JunJun noticed that Tomoyo girl was still perilously close to the front of the lobby, recording everything. "Oh, Sakura looks so majestic from this angle!" she cooed, oblivious to the danger.

"Are you daft, girl!? Get your ass back with the others!" JunJun snarled, pulling Tomoyo back by her dress's collar. Just in time, too. Some bullets struck where Tomoyo had been standing moments before.

"Well, I hate to say it, but maybe we didn't need to power up again after all," said Berthier over the rumbling of Sakura's footfalls.

"Then again, they could come in handy with something else," Koan grumbled fearfully. She pointed at that hole in the glass made by the toppled Sentinel. While those Sentinels had Sakura occupied, those mercenaries hired to round up mutants in Tokyo on trumped-up charges took the opportunity to rush in.

The troops in the employ of the Mendou conglomerate finally got to work. They opened fire on the intruders, who took cover behind statues and overturned tables. Before the mercenaries could fire back, however, that wind thing flew inside.

JunJun finally got a good look at it. It had the form of a pale-skinned woman with high-dressed golden hair, which swept down past a strange black headdress into two long strands. She had an aura of gentleness about her. All the same, she ensnared the mercenaries in tendrils of wind. They cried out in confusion as they were swept back outside.

Once the mercenaries were removed, the windows shook when Sakura shouted again. "SHIELD!" JunJun watched in confusion as some sort of fluid, green barrier swept across the outside of the building. Was that covering it entirely?

"Well, we're safe in here now," said Tomoyo cheerfully. "Now that that's up, nothing else will be getting through."

"How can you be so sure?" JunJun demanded. Just as she did, she looked up to see Sakura smashing a Sentinel against that barrier with her boot. It wasn't long before it was completely crushed.

"The way I understand it, the stronger her desire to protect something or someone, the more powerful the barrier," said Meiling. "So nothing is getting past unless she allows it."

Just as JunJun started to feel safe, a young man with black hair done up in a small pigtail stepped toward them. "But who knows if more of those mercenaries made it in before that barricade went up?"

The troops on their side looked sheepishly amongst themselves. Finally, the one in command said, "Well, you heard him, men! We better sweep the entire premises while those Sentinels are... dealt with."

As the Mendou conglomerate's troops marched out of the lobby, some of the others seemed intent on sweeping for intruders, too. "Hey Akane, you're with me," said that girl with the huge spatula to a blue-haired girl.

"And you Ranma, with me," said a middle-aged man with a bandana and glasses. "We might as well squeeze some training out of this craziness, son."

"I could use a little action myself, since Syaoran and Kinomoto are hogging all the fun," Meiling muttered to herself. She turned and eyed JunJun up and down. "Well, you look a bit sturdier than those other three girls you hang with. Care to back me up?"

JunJun blinked in surprise. Sure, she was game to trip up police and mercenaries days, yet this girl's eagerness still baffled her. "Well, uhhh, I guess..."

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Meiling cried, grabbing JunJun's wrist. JunJun yelped in surprise as Meiling led her back into the heart of the building. "The name's Meiling Li, by the way. Came up from Hong Kong, just for this. What's yours?"

"Uh, JunJun," JunJun muttered sheepishly.

"That's it? JunJun?" Meiling asked dismissively as she dragged her down a hall. Once they were halfway down it, JunJun spotted a couple of enemy mercenaries rounding the corner up ahead.

JunJun wanted to cry out to Meiling, but she was already charging at the pair. "Smoke bombs feel more like a ninja thing, but whatever," she muttered. Something slid down the sleeve of Meiling's robes. What were undoubtedly smoke pellets were now held between the fingers of her right hand. As the mercenaries raised their weapons, ordering Meiling to back off, she hurled them.

Given they had goggles and gas masks, the smoke wouldn't disorient them for long. The few seconds Meiling bought herself turned out to be more than enough, however. She jumped off a wall toward the closer mercenary, knocking his gun out of his hands as she latched onto his torso. JunJun, meanwhile, bum-rushed the other one before he could take aim. Given his greater mass and combat armor, JunJun knew she had little chance of overpowering him without any powers.

Meiling was a different story. Their combat armor made little difference against her. She still homed in on vulnerable spots, to devastating effect. JunJun was beyond impressed. She was a glorified acrobat, but this girl could FIGHT. Clearly, she was trained to bring down men twice her size.

Once he was disoriented enough, Meiling shoved him into the other one, and they both toppled. Meiling and JunJun were all over them, ripping off their helmets to pound them into submission. Over their muffled cries, however, they heard advancing footsteps. JunJun looked up to see another mercenary peeking around the corner.

Like before, Meiling was all over him before he could even blink. This time, however, the mercenary managed to throw her off, and then more arrived with rifles aimed at them.

"OK, green weirdo, hands where I can see them! That goes double for you, you little Chinese brat!" the one Meiling had tackled ordered.

JunJun fearfully looked over to Meiling. To her amazement, the feisty girl radiated calm as she stood up, her back facing the mercenaries. She raised both hands, revealing grenade pins adorning the fingers of her right one. She even wiggled them teasingly.

The mercenary screamed as he tried in vain to remove his grenades. Meiling rushed at JunJun and tackled her to the ground, covering her ears.

"Shut your eyes!" Meiling cried. A blinding flash enveloped them all. Even with Meiling shielding her ears, some horrible sound rattled JunJun's skull.

"Flash-bang grenades," Meiling muttered after about a minute. "Oh boy, let's just say my equilibrium is shot for the moment..."

JunJun helped Meiling stand back up. Thanks to Meiling, she wasn't affected as badly. JunJun approached the mercenaries just around the corner, all doubled over and groaning in pain. Their gear didn't protect them from the grenades detonating that close. "Well, looks like you've bought plenty of time to recover."

Meiling ignored her, no doubt unable to hear a thing thanks to the grenades. Instead, she glanced around the other corner, her eyes widening in fear. Even more of them were coming from the other direction!

"Just how many more of you pests slithered in here!?" JunJun sneered.

Of course, they didn't answer, merely aiming their weapons. JunJun groaned as she raised her hands, seeing no way out.

"So this is what Japan's come to? Hiring thugs to terrorize little girls?" came a voice from behind the gaggle of mercenaries. JunJun recognized it. It was the same guy who had pointed out mercenaries might have infiltrated the building, this Ranma...

"Well, no point complaining about it son. Let's do something about it!" his father cried.

The mercenaries spun around, but those two moved like liquid lightning. That guy's father swiftly overpowered the closest one before he could fire, while Ranma took care of another. His hands moved faster than the eye could follow, deftly knocking him out cold. Another one moved in to bludgeon Ranma with the butt end of his gun. But in one fluid motion, Ranma grabbed his rifle. While the mercenary held onto it, Ranma angled it at whichever ones hadn't been downed already. They frantically ducked to escape the hail of lead.

Ranma then turned to the girls. "What're you two stickin' around for!? Move it!" he cried.

JunJun looked to Meiling, seeing she still hadn't quite recovered. This time, JunJun grabbed her wrist to drag her away. JunJun risked one last glance over her shoulder. Ranma launched a flying kick at the last mercenary, making his shots go wild. JunJun swore she heard his bullets break open a water pipe in the ceiling, before she pulled Meiling around a corner.

After a few moments, JunJun dragged Meiling into the first open door she came across. They used the opportunity to catch their breaths. "This enough action for you!?" JunJun spat sardonically.

Meiling smirked at her. "Actually, now that the grenades' effects are fading, I'm in the mood for a little more."

JunJun glared at her, but then looked up as she heard the clicking and clacking of firearms. Another gaggle of those pests had zeroed in on them and flooded the room. "So again I ask, this enough for you?" JunJun grumbled as she looked around. These bozos had them surrounded. Too bad those two guys from before are nowhere around...

And then, to the shock of everyone in the room, something smashed through the wall. Something huge.

The closest mercenaries turned to see a snarling panda charging right for them. Then, through the hole that panda made, came this crimson bolt of lightning. This girl with clothes just like that Ranma guy, and red hair done up in the same style.With dizzying speed, she went from one mercenary to the next, taking them out with bafflingly swift strikes.

"Pops!" she suddenly cried, leaping at the panda with an outstretched hand.

The panda caught it and swung her around. Her foot smashed into the faces of a few more mercenaries before the panda flung her at one of the remaining two. She wrapped her legs around his neck, then flung him at the last one standing.

The redheaded girl smiled as she examined her handiwork, then turned to JunJun and Meiling. "You two OK?" she asked.

JunJun didn't reply right away. Instead, she looked to Meiling, who was glaring down at the pummeled mercenaries with an annoyed look. "Oh, DON'T go complaining about this girl and the panda hogging all the fun too!"

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The winds carried Storm toward the Ryuuzaki mansion, their howling fury echoing her own. Fury at how there was no end to these Sentinels, but some of it was with herself. It was naïve to believe destroying that other battalion of Sentinels would buy them any time. Of course Erina Kizachi would have others! Otherwise, she wouldn't have practically given the X-Men and Sailor Senshi her blessing to blow them away! As leader of the X-Men, she should have anticipated this!

But now wasn't the time for regrets. Now was the time to rectify the problem, once and for all.

Storm willed the winds to propel her faster. They did as she bid. No doubt to anyone on the ground within a three-mile radius, it would feel like a cyclone was approaching. The skies also turned dark and stormy, reflecting her mood.

Just wait until we reach this mansion, Storm fumed. THEN everyone will see nature's wrath unleashed!

Storm looked down in her arms. She had elected to carry Chibi-Moon. The girl seemed unnerved by thunder crackling all around her, but put on a face of determined calm. Storm then looked to her left. Cable buoyed himself on Storm's winds with telekinesis, letting him ride along while his bionic arm held Sailor Mercury close. The four of them had been the only ones left at the Hikawa Shrine. Everyone else was either with Sailor Moon or elsewhere in Tokyo.

Another misstep as leader. She should have kept better track of everyone, in the event of an all-out Sentinel attack. According to Professor X, they were being deployed everywhere, scores of them. And the bulk of them were converging on the two 'safehouses'. They needed to be secured first. Still, Storm couldn't help but wonder about the rest of their teams.

Forcing down her troubled thoughts, she sent out a thought to Xavier. "Professor, any word on the status of the rest of our teams?" she implored. "Given the capabilities of these new Sentinels, the remainder of our number must band together, and fast."

"Agreed, Ororo," Xavier sent back. "Thankfully, Wolverine has already met up with Sailor Moon's group as you wanted, while the rest of Sailor Senshi are rendezvousing with Hank and Kitty. They will be fine, Ororo. Your group must concentrate on pushing back the current wave of Sentinels there."

"Understood, Professor." Storm felt a surge of relief, but it was short-lived, as there was another worry. "But what about the second safehouse? Will either team be able to reach it in time?"

There was a pause. "What's going on over there is confusing. There is something keeping me from probing the inside of the building, but I doubt the Sentinels are responsible. However, from what I've ascertained from probing allies outside the safehouse, I'm confident it's secure. It's best to focus on this mansion. My mental power can still affect them, but it takes a good deal of time and concentration to down even one."

"Hang in there, Professor," Cable said telepathically. "We can see the mansion up ahead."

Indeed, the Ryuuzaki mansion was coming into view. It was situated near the top of a hill, a forest to its back. The dark-blue armor plating of Kizachi's Sentinels nearly let them blend into the night sky. At least a score of them were in the air, firing at something.

"Chibi-Moon, Mercury, ready yourselves. The Sentinels are already here in full force," Storm told her friends.

"I see them, Storm. Just drop me off close," Chibi-Moon spat angrily. Storm understood her eagerness, but she was young, and a bit overconfident. Chibi-Moon still didn't quite understand just how horrific these machines were.

"Not quite yet, child," said Storm. "First, let me try to distract and scatter them."

Storm's eyes narrowed. The dark clouds that had followed them rained lightning down. Chibi-Moon muffled a shriek as they struck some Sentinels in the back, disorienting them briefly.

It was an opening immediately seized, but not by the four of them. Storm saw a force of helicopters steadily advance on the Sentinels, opening fire. Missiles and armor-piercing bullets rained down on them.

At first, Storm was confused. The pilots of those helicopters were on THEIR side? Then she remembered that some of the people Sailor Moon persuaded were part of the Mendou family, who were so wealthy, they had a private army.

"It's nice to have soldiers simply following orders on our side for once," Storm mused.

Still, those pilots were in over their heads. These Sentinels couldn't be felled so easily by conventional means. One or two were taken out of commission, but the rest returned fire. Many managed to swerve aside and evade them, but Storm watched in horror as some missiles closed in on a pair of choppers.

"NO!" Storm cried, ready to blast the missiles with lightning.

It turned out to be unnecessary. What could only be described as a flying saucer flew past the helicopters, intercepting the missiles. The craft shook violently, smoke pouring out from where the missiles struck, but it remained aloft.

"That all you got, you big bullies!?" An amplified voice boomed from inside the saucer. It was that of a boy. A mere child, far younger than Chibi-Moon! "Here, have some of this!" The saucer's path curved back toward the Sentinels, unleashing a volley of laser blasts. The helicopter pilots used that opening, opening fire again.

Still, some more help couldn't hurt. Storm decided against lightning for the moment. This time, since they were still a good distance away from the mansion, Storm summoned a tornado.

It formed right behind the line of Sentinels, far enough away to not affect the helicopters and saucer. One was instantly pulled out of the sky, caught up in the funnel. Others had to fight against the pull.

Yet again, Storm's elemental assault provided an opening. However, it wasn't the helicopter pilots or whoever was flying that saucer who seized it.

Two figures flew amidst the chaos, striking at the Sentinels. Storm watched in awe as whoever they were navigated the hail of gunfire and her tornado's pull. What could only be described as a lion with wings and some ornate coverings, flanked by a man with long, silvery hair and fanciful white robes, sporting wings of his own.

The lion reared his head back, then spat out a volley of intense flame. The winged man with him summoned jagged crystals out of thin air. He flung them at the Sentinel targeted by the lion with deadly speed. Their combined assault knocked one Sentinel into another. Both were blasted into the tornado's range and sucked up.

"Not that I want to get my hopes up, but it's looking like all of Sailor Moon's hired help, whoever they are, will swiftly turn the tide," Cable said to Storm telepathically. "At any rate, these people have it covered from the air. Maybe we should get closer to the ground, get out of the crossfire and..."

Cable's thoughts stopped when Mercury suddenly screamed. Storm turned to where she was looking at. A Sentinel was closing in on her and Cable, firing its minigun. Thankfully, Cable's telekinetic shield surrounded both of them, and held. "Sailor Mercury, use your harp! Get this one off our six!"

"B-B-But Cable, if even my strongest attack couldn't hold one of these off before..." Mercury protested.

"Just do it!" Cable barked irascibly.

A watery harp then formed in Mercury's hands. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury cried. As tendrils of waters shot forth from the harp, they seemed to form a single column, bearing down on the advancing Sentinel like a drill. No doubt Cable was using his telekinesis in tandem with Mercury's attack. Their combination attack struck the Sentinel with thunderous force. It was blasted down toward the mansion, upturning the ground until it slammed against its front wall.

A young man with black hair wearing primarily yellow jumped over the Sentinel before it hit. He ran past where Storm and Cable landed. "That's it, you mechanical devils! Show up in force, remind me of the misery you bring! It only makes me stronger!"

Storm had no idea what he was babbling about. She didn't really have the time to dwell on it, either. More Sentinels were slipping past the mansion's air defenses.

Cable looked to a downed helicopter. "Since I insisted that Hank take my weapons if something like this happened..." he began. Parts of the copter were ripped apart, and Cable telekinetically yanked out its remaining missiles and armed them.

Missiles, energy blasts and gunfire rained down on the four. Chibi-Moon's flurries of pink hearts kept any missiles from reaching them, while Cable's telekinesis held back their other attacks. He flung the armed missiles and them, and they staggered back. Mercury used Mercury Aqua Rhapsody, combined with Cable's telekinesis once more, to drive them back further, while Storm summoned more lightning.

They were holding the line, but barely. Erina Kizachi truly had constructed Sentinels that were a frightful force to be reckoned with.

That boy in yellow stepped in between them and a Sentinel charging their way, putting his hands together. It aimed its minigun down at him. Storm was about to call out to him, but she noticed a strange pink glow coming from his hands.

"Shishi Hōkōdan!" he roared. A huge blast of pinkish energy shot forth from his hands. It forced the Sentinel back, disorienting it for a moment.

"Cable!" Storm called out as she blasted that Sentinel with lightning. He understood instantly, flinging one of the last missiles at it. It drove itself into the turbine in the Sentinel's chest. That, along with Storm's lightning and whatever this boy was using, toppled the Sentinel.

But more were coming. Two more stomped forward. That strange man put himself between them and the mansion. One of the Sentinels bent down to swing at him with frightening swiftness.

Quick as it was, though, this boy proved far swifter. He jumped up, kicked off the Sentinel's shoulder, and launched himself at the other one.

"Bakusai Tenketsu!" he snarled, thrusting a finger forward. It actually sank into the Sentinel's faceplate. Cracks spidered out across it.

"Wow, from my cursory scan of this kid, I had no idea the poor guy was THIS crazy," Cable told the rest of them telepathically.

"Who is he, Nathan?" Storm asked. "He is not one of the mutants spirited away here?"

"Nope, but with power like that, he might as well be," said Cable.

The chaos unleashed by the mansion's defenders didn't end with his antics. As the two X-Men and two Sailor Senshi held the line, an armored vehicle with some sort of heavy-duty cannon mounted on the back sped past. It was being driven by another young man with black hair, though it was slicked back. Yet unlike the one tackling Sentinels head-on, he had a calm, collected air about him. "Look alive, Moroboshi! We are among this mansion's last line of defense!"

The boy manning that cannon screamed as he was bounced around by the other's erratic driving. His aim wasn't that great, but his shots did hammer the Sentinels when he made his mark. Storm and Mercury took advantage of it, pelting the robots with their elemental power, forcing them back.

Storm felt she was too limited staying at ground level. "Mercury, Chibi-Moon, stick close to Cable so he can better shield you. I'm going airborne again." She rode the winds up past the mansion's roof. More soldiers from that private army were there, firing rocket launchers. But there was a purple-haired girl with them, armed with a crossbow. She fired an arrow at an incoming Sentinel. It stuck to its faceplate, then exploded with tremendous force. Storm summoned a wind to drive it away while it was stunned.

But then, she sensed someone else manipulating the winds. Glancing over her shoulder, Storm saw a short, old woman twirling some sort of cane. It generated a column of driving wind, striking down a Sentinel approaching the mansion from the back.

Turning back to the chaos in front, Storm summoned more lightning to drive back the Sentinels. She sensed something else odd. Not all the blasts of electricity were hers.

A girl with long, turquoise hair and a pair of short, yellow horns flew by, wearing nothing more than a tiger-striped bikini and boots. She ducked and weaved around the Sentinel's fire, then lashed out with electricity generated by her own body. It wasn't as strong as Storm's lightning, but still helped to force the Sentinels back.

Suddenly, someone rather short jumped off the mansion's roof and latched onto the flying girl's leg. He was an old, withered thing, and looked up to her with a lecherous grin.

"Nice pair of legs ya got here," said the old man. "Why not put 'em to good use, and kick me over that way?"

Grimacing at him, the girl did as asked, kicking the old man toward Sentinels approaching on foot. He soared toward the one with the shattered faceplate. He pulled something out of his clothes and cried, "Happo Daikarin!" as she shoved it into those cracks. After he kicked off, it exploded with tremendous force, blowing off the Sentinel's head.

Through their combined efforts, those defending the mansion started to get the upper hand. It took nearly a half hour, but they managed to take down all the Sentinels laying siege to the mansion.

As Storm lowered herself to the ground, she wondered just how long this lull would last. There was no telling how many Sentinels Kizachi had at her disposal.

That lion and winged man also swooped down to the ground, along with the turquoise-haired girl. That old man and the guy who got up close and personal with the Sentinels walked up next. Lastly, that armored vehicle came to a stop near Cable and the others, and both boys climbed out.

In her time with the X-Men, Storm had seen a lot of strange things, and strange people. Still, there was something exceptionally odd about seeing all these people together, but Storm supposed it didn't matter. They had all answered Sailor Moon's call, and held the line against the odds.

"Well well well, look at this, Yue. Some of the X-Men finally show up after all," said the lion. Storm was not all that surprised to hear a lion with wings speak.

"Show a little humility, Keroberos," said the winged man aloofly, his arms folded. "These two and the two Sailor Senshi turned the tide."

"Not to mention, this X-Man is quite easy on the eyes," said the boy who had manned that cannon, this Moroboshi, as he eyed Storm up and down. Somehow, he came off as more lecherous than that little old man.

"Darling..." hissed the turquoise-haired girl dangerously.

"Oh come on, Lum. You know it's a big universe out there. Don't be all surprised and jealous there's another girl who can fly and shoot lightning," Moroboshi said with a grin. Storm just blinked in confusion. But whatever went on between these two, it wasn't important.

"So what now?" the boy in yellow asked. "No way we're lucky enough for this to be all of them. There must be more coming."

"And what about the Daidouji building!?" Chibi-Moon cried. "We heard that Sentinels were attacking that, too!"

The lion snickered. "Oh don't worry about that, kiddo. Let's just say the Sentinels trying to bring that place down got a BIG surprise! Ain't that right, Yue?" Keroberos asked his partner, laughing as he nudged him.

Yue snorted. "Please excuse my companion's flippancy, but he is correct. Our master can guarantee that no Sentinels will harm any mutants at the other safehouse. We need only worry about protecting those here."

"And just who is your master?" Cable demanded. "It's one of those two little kids, isn't it? Probably the girl."

Yue rounded on Cable, glaring daggers at him. Storm knew they didn't have time for this. But before she could interject, she heard Xavier's telepathic voice. "Yue is correct, Storm. Daidouji's new corporate headquarters is secure. We should not waste any manpower there, but rather let Kizachi waste Sentinels attacking it in vain. Now that you four have helped fend off this wave, you need to regroup with the others. Sailor Mars and Sailor Uranus seem to have an idea where Kizachi may be found. Return to the city and join them."

"Are you sure that's wise, Professor?" Storm asked. "This first wave was barely beaten back. If we leave them, the mansion's defenders may not succeed against a second."

"I will help coordinate them, and keep using my power to fell whatever Sentinels I can," said Xavier reassuringly. "What's important now is reaching Erina Kizachi and stopping these Sentinels at their source. Until she's dealt with, this conflict will not end. Please trust me, Ororo. The X-Men and Sailor Senshi are needed elsewhere."

It was many moments before Storm relented. "Very well, Professor. Good luck to you, to all of you." Turning back to the others, she said, "I'm afraid the four of us must go. We have a lead on where these Sentinels are coming from, and thus a possible means of shutting them all down. Do you believe you can hold out here until we can?"

Some of the mansion's defenders looked to Storm dubiously. Others, however, beamed with confidence. "Never fear," said Keroberos. "Our master ordered us to protect this mansion, no matter what. We won't disappoint her."

"Well, whatever's comin' is comin'," said Moroboshi. He then swiped keys from the one with slicked-back hair. "And this time, I'M driving," he grumbled, ignoring his angry glare.

"And it's comin' sooner than you think, kiddo!" the old man snapped. He pointed to something on the horizon. "If you X-peeps and Senshi want out of here, I suggest you fly out now."

Storm looked to the next wave of Sentinels, and nodded. She scooped up Chibi-Moon, while Cable grabbed hold of Mercury. They levitated themselves straight up. Storm saw the wave drawing even closer.

"If we must leave you, as least I can help soften up this next wave," Storm called down to their allies. Concentrating, Storm built up another cyclone. Wind and lightning hammered the approaching Sentinels, and then she created more tornadoes a few hundred feet out.

"Hey, watch the precipitation!" came a shout from below. Storm looked down to see the black-haired boy in yellow had pulled out a red umbrella to shield himself from the rain.

Then Storm saw Lum flutter up to her. "Storm, hit me with some lightning!" she implored. "I could use a recharge..."

Storm hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. Bolts of lightning shot down from the clouds, striking Lum. It wasn't long before Lum's body glowed with a fierce, iridescent aura.

"Oh yeah, now I'm ready!" Lum cried out, flying ahead. That flying saucer moved in to cover her flank, and more of those helicopters flew in to engage the Sentinels that slipped through.

Storm felt like a coward, leaving them to fend off those monsters. She suspected the other three hated doing this as well. But Xavier was right. Their best hope for ending this madness was to strike at the heart of the matter.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A stray missile detonated near Sailor Moon and Wolverine, blasting them off the roof of a three-story building. Travelling across rooftops was the quickest way to get to this strange 'resonance' Mars sensed. Thankfully, Wolverine was more than capable of keeping up. But they usually couldn't get very far before Sentinels arrived and forced them back down to the street. This was the third time they had done so.

Sailor Moon screamed as she went over the edge of the roof. She stopped, though, when Wolverine pulled her close with one hand. He popped the claws on the other. They dug into the brick wall as they fell, slowing their descent.

"Sailor Moon, get ready to hit 'em hard once we touch down!" Wolverine shouted over the roar of the approaching Sentinels' jet engines.

Sailor Moon could only nod, the ordeal of the last half-hour weighing on her. They had dispatched those first two Sentinels easily enough. After that, they started attacking in greater numbers. Not only that, even Sailor Moon could tell they were fighting smarter, adapting to their strategies.

The two of them dropped down onto a sidewalk just as two more Sentinels landed nearby. Lots of pedestrians were screaming, trying to get clear, while cars swerved wildly to avoid hitting that Sentinel.

Because of that, Sailor Moon waited a moment to let her tiara fly. It struck at the vulnerable area on its neck. She let loose just in time; its minigun was already aimed at them.

It kept driving forward like a blazing, magical buzzsaw, giving Wolverine an opening. He charged forward with claws at the ready, snarling like an animal. Meanwhile, Sailor Moon produced her kaleidoscope and used Moon Gorgeous Meditation on the other. Her attack enveloped the Sentinel right before it could fire, but it just wasn't as effective on machines as on creatures like the Lemures.

At least I'm holding these two back, for now. Are the others having any better luck? Sailor Moon risked a glance away from the Sentinels. The rest of their team had been forced down from the buildings earlier.

As she had feared, the Sentinels were adapting to their strategy of targeting vulnerable joint areas. Artemis and Luna took cover as Tuxedo Kamen, Mars and Uranus engaged another pair of Sentinels. Uranus caught one unawares, toppling it with World Shaking the instant it touched down, but that would only buy a few seconds.

Meanwhile. Mars tried zeroing in on weak spots with Burning Mandala again, but the other Sentinel used that jet engine in its chest to swiftly skirt out of the way. It fired off its minigun as it did so. Both Mars and Tuxedo Kamen were forced to duck aside. Bullets ripped through abandoned cars and the windows of a nearby building. Sailor Moon hoped no one was hiding in there. Tuxedo Kamen then sank a few roses into its faceplate, leaving it a cracked mess, but it hardly seemed to slow it down.

Sailor Moon fired some repulsor blasts to distract it as her friends regrouped, then turned back to the Sentinels she was facing. Between willing her tiara to keep drilling into one weak spot after another, she kept it distracted long enough for Wolverine to do what he did best. He left the tip of its minigun a mangled mess. Sailor Moon fired repulsor blasts up at it as her tiara drove itself into the back of the Sentinel's knee. Meanwhile, Wolverine swiftly clawed his way up to its neck. He slashed and hacked at where her tiara had already dug deep. The Sentinel's eyes began to flicker.

"Wolverine, we're getting the upper hand!" Sailor Moon cried, daring to hope.

"Don't get complacent now, kid!" Wolverine howled as he clawed his way deeper. "Don't let your concentration slip!"

Wolverine's warning came too late. Sailor Moon had never used her power quite like this, beating back two different enemies with two separate attacks. Moon Gorgeous Meditation looked to be breaking apart that Sentinel's armor, but it still wasn't enough. And with her concentration lapsing due to exhaustion and anxiety, it forced its way forward, raising its left arm.

That massive, mechanical fist shot forward, its entire arm extending. "Yikes!" cried Sailor Moon, forced to cease her attack and jump back. Worse, her tiara was running out of juice and had to be recalled.

The Sentinel's fist slammed into the street a few meters away. Worse, something opened up on its forearm, perhaps to fire missiles at point-blank range. Howling, Wolverine jumped down from the other Sentinel and sank its claws into that extended arm. His claws severed it before those weapons could fire.

Unfortunately, as mangled as the first Sentinel already was, plenty of its other weapons were still intact. Suddenly, it tried something new. Sailor Moon meant to fire a repulsor blast into its sliced-open neck, hoping that would bring this one down too. Before she could get a bead on it, a massive column of white-hot plasma shot out from its turbine.

"Look out, Sailor Moon!" Wolverine cried, jumping down toward her. He tackled her just in time, and they rolled clear of that plasma. Unfortunately, the other Sentinel still had a functioning minigun, and fired.

Sailor Moon felt like several sledgehammers had slammed into her back, and Wolverine couldn't stifle a scream as some bullets ripped through him. They separated and looked up at the two approaching Sentinels. Both of them sank to one knee, wobbly and feeling weak. Wolverine glared up at them with a defiance Sailor Moon didn't share. Still, she forced down her fear. She reached for her tiara while readying a repulsor blast. But that minigun was revving up, and the other Sentinel was readying another burst of plasma...

But just before they could fire, Sailor Moon heard a girl scream, "Flame Arrow!"

A huge stream of fire shot down from the building's roof. The plasma the Sentinel spewed went wild, cutting a swath across the street. Sailor Moon and Wolverine got to their feet just as the other fired off its minigun. They ducked aside, and Sailor Moon forced it back with some repulsor blasts.

"Good thing Sailor Mars had our backs, huh?" Wolverine growled.

Sailor Moon blinked in surprise, realizing something was wrong. "Hang on... That's NOT one of Mars's attacks! Besides, she's over there!"

Sailor Moon risked another glance over at her friends. Mars was using Fire Soul to force back one of those plasma attacks. Meanwhile, Uranus and Tuxedo Kamen scattered as a Sentinel punched down at them, its fist sinking into the street.

Wolverine looked back to the Sentinels, confused. "Then who the hell just..." he began, but then a figure dropped down from the building's roof.

It was definitely a girl, with bright red hair done up in a long braid. She sported some sort of black suit not unlike the X-Men's uniforms. Over it, there was some sort of glistening, white armored chest plate with shoulder pauldrons. She also sported knee-high white boots, some sort of armband that covered her entire right forearm, and some strange fingerless glove on her left hand. Even from down below, Sailor Moon could see a strange, red orb on the back of it, glistening in the moonlight.

She landed on the shoulder of the Sentinel that Wolverine and Sailor Moon made a point of eviscerating. First, she turned to the other Sentinel and screamed, "Ruby Lightning!" Which was exactly what she blasted it with. Thanks to Moon Gorgeous Meditation and those repulsor blasts, its armor was weakened enough for this girl's attack to punch through and topple it. Then the girl somehow pulled a huge sword out of that red jewel on her glove!

Her sword sliced into the side of the Sentinel's head, and she didn't let up. Like a girl possessed, she kept hacking away, wailing as her sword cut into its polymer armor like a hot knife through butter.

"Wow, that kid could teach ME a thing or two 'bout evisceratin' everything in sight," said Wolverine. The Sentinel reached up to grab the girl, but she was far too agile. She swung down and sliced into the gaping gash Wolverine and Sailor Moon made before, finishing their job. "Whoever she is, she's got this covered. C'mon, let's go help the others."

Sailor Moon nodded, and the two dashed across the street. But Sailor Moon's heart sank upon seeing a Sentinel kick Uranus down the street. She only stopped when she collided with an abandoned bus. Her screams mingled with the sound of shattering glass and crunching metal.

Mars and Tuxedo Kamen dropped down between Uranus and the two advancing Sentinels. But they already had their miniguns revved up and aimed, and Sailor Moon couldn't do anything in time. "NO!" she cried out as they fired.

But another girl cried out at the same time with something else: "Winds of Protection!"

Suddenly, swirling green mist surrounded the bus and Sailor Moon's friends. It seemed to swallow up the Sentinels' gunfire.

One of the Sentinels took to the air, perhaps to better scout for whoever was responsible. But it was pulled back down to Earth when yet another girl screamed, "Oh you're not getting away! Water Dragon!"

From out of nowhere, a smirking serpent composed of water shot up and ensnared the Sentinel, like a snake constricting its prey. It was slammed down onto the street with a thunderous crash, the dragon biting onto its head.

Just as that barrier around the bus faded, there was a cry of "Winds of Admonishment!" Now the other Sentinel was immobilized by some swirling, emerald wisps of wind.

"Sailor Moon, this is our chance! We can finish them off!" Sailor Moon looked back in the direction of the girl's voice. The Sentinel's head tumbled down onto the street just as the girl made a three-point landing. "Come on, let 'em have it! Ruby Lightning!"

Crimson lightning tore into the Sentinel ensnared by that wind. Setting aside her confusion, Sailor Moon cut loose with Moon Gorgeous Meditation. Their combined might was too much for it. Its armor cracked apart as its systems shorted out. Meanwhile, Mars Flame Sniper and Space Sword Blaster, once again aimed with precision, tore into the other Sentinel's neck, letting that watery beast rip its head clean off.

Sailor Moon just stared at the Sentinels' ruined carcasses, not knowing what to think. The rest of the Sailor Senshi and X-Men were occupied elsewhere, and just about all the mutants in and around Tokyo were in the two safehouses. So who could've...

"Wow, this is great! I actually got to fight beside my idol and kick some serious Sentinel butt!" Sailor Moon turned to the redheaded girl, who was running in place with fangirlish glee. She didn't just have a black suit like the X-Men. It WAS a replica of an X-Man's uniform! Between that and the black gunk covering her face, it was clear who she also stood in solidarity with.

Thanks to the gunk, though, it took a moment for Sailor Moon to remember where she had seen her before. That girl who was so excited to see Sailor Moon! Hikaru was her name, right? Uranus said she had sensed great power within her. Well, Uranus was certainly right about that!

That sword of hers disappeared back into her glove's jewel. She rushed at Sailor Moon to hug her. "I'm sorry it took us so long to catch up with you, Sailor Moon! We've got your backs now!"

Sailor Moon looked over to Wolverine in confusion. He could only shrug his shoulders. Then, something clicked in Sailor Moon's head. "Hang on, wasn't there more than one of you? Where are..."

"Yes, there are three of us, Sailor Moon," came a kindly voice. While still writhing in Hikaru's glompy hug, Sailor Moon turned to see that girl with short, sandy-blond hair and glasses walk up. Just like Hikaru, she wore some strange armored covering over an X-Man uniform, and had covered her face in black goo. The spherical jewels on her glove and in her armor, however, were a deep emerald green.

Sailor Moon also remembered her from that police station raid. "So, that's how you carried that big sword in there. And you had wind powers back there, too."

Fuu simply nodded, but then turned to Wolverine. She immediately gasped. "Oh no, you've been shot! Hang on, I can remedy that in an instant!"

Though he still looked wobbly, Wolverine raised a hand. "Don't bother, darlin'. My main power is basically not dyin'. If you got healing magic or somethin', use it on Sailor Uranus over there."

Fuu still looked concerned, but nodded and walked over to Uranus. Uranus now knelt, still reeling with pain, as Tuxedo Kamen and Mars stood beside her. Just as Sailor Moon finally convinced Hikaru to let her go, she could see the air around Fuu's hands sparkle.

"Winds of Healing!" Fuu cried. More emerald mist swirled around Uranus. Unlike the winds that had held the Sentinel prisoner, these were gentle and inviting.

Soon enough, Uranus could stand again without difficulty. "So... that's what you did before," Uranus muttered. She sounded unsure if she was impressed or envious of Fuu's wind powers.

"Oh yeah, Fuu's got herself quite a versatile moveset. All us Magic Knights do, if I say so myself," came another voice. The last of that trio, the one with long blue hair, strode up to them. She kicked aside some Sentinel parts strewn about after what must've been her watery serpent bit its head off. Just like the other two, she wore that strange armor over an X-Man's uniform, black goop slathered on her face.

Fuu scowled at her. "Now's not the time to be boastful, Umi."

"Well, we DID just save all of them from getting shredded into hamburger," Umi pointed out. "Not our fault the hotheaded Sailor Senshi over here didn't have firepower like Hikaru's to take these overgrown kabuki dolls out."

Mars looked ready to explode. "What was that!?" she demanded. "You three were just lucky those Sentinels were distracted. We had to tackle them head-on, while you just stabbed them in the back!"

"HEY! Show a little respect, Sparky!" Umi spat. "We're out here covering the asses those short skirts barely do, while my home is under siege by these things! Right now, I have to rely on strangers to protect it and my family! I think a little gratitude is in order!"

Umi and Mars got in each other's faces, growling and glaring daggers at each other. Sailor Moon could only watch in amazement. "Uhh, Hikaru, right? Is your friend always like that?"

"Uh, she can be... abrasive at times," Hikaru admitted. "What about yours?"

"Oh yeah, a lot of the time," said Sailor Moon. "I just can't believe she's found someone who rubs her the wrong way worse than I do."

"In any case, they need to break it up!" came Luna's voice suddenly. Sailor Moon turned to see her and Artemis walking out from underneath the bus. "More of those Sentinels could show up any second!"

Umi finally looked away from Mars and stared at the two cats. "Hmmm, talking cats. Way easier to communicate with than that rabbit-eared bag of marshmallow back in Cephiro, that's for sure."

"And they're right, Umi," said Fuu, pointing down the direction the Senshi had come. "I can see more Sentinels moving in already."

"Ugh, they just keep coming!" Mars snarled. "At this rate, we'll never reach where Erina Kizachi is controlling them from!"

"You know who made these things, and where they're coming from?" Hikaru asked.

"We got a lead, kiddo. And right now, we got nothin' else to act on," said Wolverine.

"Then it looks like you Sailor Senshi are gonna owe us double," said Umi. "We can hold those jokers here while you make a break for it."

Sailor Moon turned to Umi, horrified. But Umi had already pulled a sword from her own glove-jewel: a rapier with the wings of a dragon for crossguards. Fuu and Hikaru likewise drew their own weapons.

"Wait, that's suicide! We can't just leave you three to..." Sailor Moon began, but Wolverine put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sailor Moon, we've got to let them try," Wolverine whispered, resignation and sorrow in his voice. "These three got magic moves better suited for hunkerin' down, not to mention pullin' Sentinels outta the air. You heard Charlie's telepathic message: get to whatever it was Mars and Uranus sensed, pronto. If these three can hold the line, we might finally slip away and do it."

Tears filled Sailor Moon's eyes. "B-B-B-But Wolverine... These three, these... Magic Knights... They're doing this because they actually believe in me! I can't use them like pawns on a chessboard to..."

"You're not makin' the choice. They are, and they're the same age as you. If you can choose to wage this war, so can they," said Wolverine. "And like you told me, you already knew it was all-out war. Well, I'm sorry to tell you that there's hard choices to make in a war."

Sailor Moon still wanted to protest, but Tuxedo Kamen walked up. "I'm sorry, Sailor Moon, but Wolverine's right. We're not asking the Magic Knights to do this, they are volunteering. And they've already shown they have the power and skill to pull this off."

Sailor Moon looked from Tuxedo Kamen to Wolverine and back. She shut her eyes, tears still streaming out of them, before looking back to the Magic Knights. "You sure you three will be OK?"

"Oh yeah, Sailor Moon!" Hikaru cried confidently. "We've had plenty of experience taking down huge uglies like these!"

"Though it's unfortunate that while our magic now works on Earth, we cannot summon our Mashin," Fuu said regretfully.

"Big deal, we'll manage," said Umi. "Besides, it's more fun this way!"

"Sailor Moon we've got to go! The Sentinels are almost upon us!" Artemis cried.

Sailor Moon looked to the Magic Knights one last time before turning back to her friends and nodding. She scooped up Luna and Artemis before jumping on top of the bus, then jumped to the roof of a nearby two-story building. The rest of the Sailor Senshi followed suit, while Wolverine used his claws to scale the building.

She couldn't help but look back upon hearing cries of "Water Dragon!" and "Winds of Admonishment!" The Magic Knights descended on the Sentinels, blades at the ready, once they were dragged down to the street. Fighting back tears, Sailor Moon faced forward, hoping those three could hold out until they pulled the plug on Erina Kizachi.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Concerning. Deeply concerning. Professor Xavier's instructions were clear: he and Shadowcat were to work with the remaining Sailor Senshi, fight past any Sentinels, and rendezvous with the other groups. Beast's task was simple and straightforward. Yet there was a high probability things could go downhill fast.

For the moment, though, the Sailor Senshi on their team were proving up to the task. It had been a bit of a gamble days ago, sending some of the X-Men away, banking on their power and expertise to fill the void. Though this was the first time Sailor Venus and Sailor Neptune faced Sentinels, they weren't shying away in the least. The two of them were down at street level, and their Crescent Beam and Submarine Reflection attacks had stopped the one advancing on them cold.

For a moment, at least. Their barrage chipped away at its chassis, but the Sentinel took aim with its minigun. Right before it could fire, Lockheed dove in and spat some flame at its face. It couldn't penetrate that plexiglass, of course, but it bought a couple more seconds for another Sailor Senshi to act.

Sailor Jupiter stood with Beast and Shadowcat, looking down from the roof of a three-story building. "Get clear, Lockheed! The sparks are about to fly! Supreme Thunder Dragon!" The maw of that serpentine conjuring of hers clamped down onto the Sentinel's torso, twisting and tearing at it.

At last, the Senshi's combined efforts blasted and ripped the Sentinel apart. But it was a minor, almost meaningless victory. Somehow, Erina Kizachi had constructed many more of these monstrosities. Hundreds, perhaps thousands. More would follow, and soon.

"Yeah! Eat it!" Jupiter cried from the rooftops. "These things aren't so tough, not when there's enough of us to hit them from all sides at once!"

Beast sighed, wishing that he couldn't see through Jupiter's bravado so easily. It was clear that her first encounter with a Sentinel had rattled her, and she wasn't pleased about facing more. If this helped keep her courage up, Beast was fine with it. But he was concerned she could get careless.

"So far, that appears true, Sailor Jupiter," said Beast. "But given Kizachi's proficiency with AI programming, it's inevitable that her Sentinels will swiftly adapt to our tactics. We had best be prepared for that eventuality."

Jupiter glared at him with a sour look. Jupiter also hadn't quite gotten over that fight with both him and Shadowcat. Though they had put their differences aside, the humiliation from their first few encounters clearly still stung. It saddened Beast a little. Why did some resentment still have to linger?

"You'd best listen to him, Jupiter. Hank's been fighting these things from the moment they rolled off the assembly line," said Shadowcat. "Besides, we've already got another one inbound!" Shadowcat pointed up, and they saw a Sentinel descending toward the other side of the building. It would take a moment for Venus and Neptune to loop around and engage. "Hank, fastball special... NOW!"

"What's a... fastball special?" Jupiter asked, confused. She got a demonstration when the Sentinel levitated itself down, about twenty feet above the building's roof. Its minigun revved up. Beast grabbed Shadowcat's ankles, span around, and threw her up at it.

Beast and Jupiter scattered to avoid its fire, while the bullets passed harmlessly through Shadowcat. And Beast made sure she had enough upward momentum to reach the Sentinel's head. As hoped, the Sentinel's systems shorted out once she phased through it. It ceased firing as it convulsed in midair.

"Nice double-team Blue, but Kizachi's probably planned for that too. It'll reboot its systems any second. Luckily, I don't need a fastball special," Jupiter scoffed. And she was right. With one bound, Jupiter soared up close enough to the Sentinel, just as its systems stabilized. "Oh no, you're not getting a moment's breath. Sparkling Wide Pressure!" she screamed, hurling her attack into a weak spot in its neck at point-blank range.

That disoriented it again while Neptune and Venus got into position. A double-whammy on that same vulnerable spot, with Venus Love-and-Beauty Shock and Submarine Reflection, brought that Sentinel down as well.

"Yeah, another one eats asphalt!" Venus cried out from below.

Beast peered over the roof to where the Sentinel had fallen. It was badly damaged, convulsing, but Beast suspected it had self-repair systems. Still, they couldn't waste any more time with it. Reaching the place Mars and Uranus suspected Kizachi was hiding was vital.

"It's down, but not out," Beast spoke into his communicator pip. "It may yet soon recover, if more of its brethren don't arrive first."

"Then let's keep moving, before more of these spoilsports show!" saidVenus.

Beast shook his head as he bounded across the street to another rooftop. He had been scarcely any older than these girls when the original X-Men faced Trask's Sentinels. Even after barely thwarting Juggernaut some time before, they had felt confident about their chances, and that led to mistakes that nearly cost them everything. He fervently hoped these girls wouldn't see history repeat itself.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Shadowcat running down on air, clutching Jupiter. Soon enough, Jupiter was running and jumping beside Beast. Shadowcat simply ran across gaps after them, while Neptune and Venus stuck to the streets. Lockheed once again served as an advance scout.

It wasn't long before the little dragon flew back, growling and spitting. "Ugh, these things just keep coming!" Jupiter spat. Her antenna popped back out, crackling with a fury that mirrored her own.

Beast was feeling quite frustrated himself. He was simply not comfortable with assuming a leadership role of sorts. Shadowcat, naturally, was looking to him for guidance, and the Sailor Senshi were willing to listen to him, as he had faced Sentinels many times before. And some doubt nagged at him. Now, more than ever, he understood why Professor X made Scott their leader all those years ago.

Not to mention, even my intellect can only carry us so far, Beast mused. Oh, perhaps it was also shortsighted in the extreme to send Rogue and Colossus back so soon. My strength matters little against these monstrosities.

And as far as Beast knew, only one mutant left in Japan had strength like that: Naru Osaka. Of course, Xavier scoffed at the notion of having her fight Sentinels. Right then, however, Beast wouldn't object to the girl lending a hand. If only they could have reached Naru before despair and bitterness consumed her.

That also vexed Beast to no end. He felt he, Shadowcat and Wolverine did everything right, nudging the girl down the right path. Surely, Naru would be receptive to fellow mutants who spoke her language and understood Japan's culture. But all their work was undone by Magneto and Kizachi's scheming.

A low growl escaped Beast's throat. Hopefully, after Beast saw Kizachi pay for her misdeeds and this madness was over, they would have another chance.

That was the most vexing thing of all. Beast considered himself a teacher first and foremost, a mentor to those who stepped into Xavier's school. Those were the roles he preferred. But time and again, he found himself drawn onto the battlefield.

He reached for the rifle Cable insisted he take. Simply holding such a weapon personified his vexation. Peering through the scope, he spotted the Sentinels coming in fast. He pressed a thumb onto the pip on his collar. "Five more, coming right for us!" Beast cried. "Venus, Neptune, be prepared to employ hit and run tactics! That's too many to stand your ground against!"

Beast kept looking through the scope, holding his fire. There was limited ammunition, and Beast had a bad feeling he'd need to conserve it.

Thankfully, the Sailor Senshi had firepower to spare. He heard Venus shout, "Crescent Beam Shower!" as the Sentinels closed in. Many of her scattered shots hit their mark, and then Jupiter joined in with Jupiter Oak Evolution. But they were barely slowed down by their initial volley. These Sentinels were just constructed too well, and they were learning fast.

Missiles aimed at the roof Beast, Jupiter and Shadowcat stood on, forcing them to scatter. One Sentinel hovered close to the roof, aiming its minigun. Beast heard a cry of "Deep Submerge!" Suddenly, energized seawater engulfed its head, paralyzing it for a moment.

Seeing his opening, Beast charged with a roar. He leapt off the roof, onto the Sentinel's shoulder. He pulled out one of the grenades fashioned for the launcher on Cable's weapon. With his strength, he was able to shove it between the lighter armor plating around its neck.

Unfortunately, Beast miscalculated badly. He didn't afford himself enough time to jump free before it detonated. His feet barely left its shoulder before it did. Beast could feel his fur getting singed. He landed hard through the windshield of a van.

"Urgh, looks like even my calculations can be off," Beast grumbled, blinking to clear his vision. He heard whoever was in that van clamber out, along with the shouts of civilians fleeing in terror. Beast was then greeted by the sight of another Sentinel stomping down the street, right toward him. Instead of aiming its minigun, Beast saw the insides of that chest-mounted turbine glow white-hot. "Oh dear," he muttered.

A column of white-hot plasma shot down at Beast. Thankfully, Neptune threw herself in its path and screamed, "Submarine Reflection!" Her watery blast countered the barrage, pushing it back for the moment. But Beast saw Neptune take tepid steps back, beginning to buckle under the strain. "A little assistance would be appreciated, McCoy!" she snarled.

"Fair flowers, bright waterfalls and angel wings," Beast recited, arming the grenade launcher. "And sound alone that from the spirit sprang, bore burthen to the charm the maiden sang." Taking aim, Beast fired a grenade at its vulnerable neck joint, and then another.

It was enough to make it falter, and the Sentinel ceased its plasma attack. But the one Beast fervently hoped had its head blown off sauntered up behind it, minigun at the ready. Neptune turned to aim her mirror at the other Sentinel, but it fired before she could.

Microseconds before those bullets would've ripped through them, Beast felt himself being tackled and thrust away from its line of fire. The next thing he knew, he and Neptune were standing at the other end of the street. Beast's head was reeling, and Neptune seemed out of breath. "What in... what just..." she managed to get out.

"I thought the X-Men and Sailor Senshi were more competent than this," came a haughty voice.

Some of the civilians had fled to this side of the street, but this voice came from in front of them. Beast and Neptune looked down to see a somewhat short man with spiky black hair standing there, his back to them.

He paid them no mind, instead glaring up at the Sentinels now turning toward them. "Hmph, purely mechanical beings," he snorted. "So my Jagen eye by itself is useless. Thankfully, I have other techniques at my disposal."

Their mysterious rescuer removed some cloth wrappings around his right arm. Suddenly, dark energy crackled around his body. But this was nothing like Eclipse's power. Hers was simply a phenomenon generated by her own body. THIS dark power... Beast typically didn't think in such terms, but this had an aura of evil to it. As if brought forth from the darkest depths imaginable.

"Dragon of the Darkness Flame!" he shouted. Some sort of swirling mass of liquid, tinged a soul-sucking black, shot out at the closer Sentinel. Beast glimpsed the head of a serpent formed from that darkness, right before it engulfed the Sentinel. It was frozen in its tracks, that rippling, ravenous darkness washing over it, breaking down its armor.

"Here's our chance, Beast!" Neptune cried, raising her mirror again. Beast loaded up more grenades and took aim just as she shouted, "Submarine Reflection!"

That all-consuming darkness had already weakened its armor to such a degree, their attacks finally punched through. The Sentinel toppled, but the other one was still approaching, and took aim. But then something wrapped around its minigun. Beast squinted for a better look. It was some sort of whip, resembling the thorny stem of a rose.

He then saw a boy with long red hair on the ground, wielding that whip. Suddenly, the whip grew like out-of-control vines, going deep into the minigun and rendering it immobile. Yet another boy then made his move. A lanky fellow ran up the other boy's rose whip, up the Sentinel's arm, straight for its head.

"Suck on this!" the lanky boy cried. Suddenly, some sort of glowing spear formed in his hands. It pierced through the spot where Beast's grenade had detonated, penetrating deep up into its head. Whatever the boy thrust into it, it expanded in its head. Glowing, spiky protrusions erupted from within.

Its sallow eyes blew out, and it toppled moments later. The lanky boy jumped clear with a yelp, while the red-haired boy looked on stoically as the Sentinel fell.

The short one who drew upon that otherworldly darkness didn't pause, however. "That wasn't all of them, in case you've forgotten." Beast wasn't sure if he was addressing his comrades, or Neptune and him. "No doubt those other Sailor Senshi are otherwise occupied with them. I'll go on ahead, draw their attention away and give all of you a chance to counterattack."

He drew a couple of swords and dashed around the corner of the building Beast had been on. He was no Quicksilver, but his speed was astonishing nonetheless.

"You must forgive Hiei," said the red-haired boy as the four of them ran after him. "He tends to be a bit aloof, cynical even."

"In short, Kurama, an asshole," the lanky boy chimed in.

"An asshole we can rely on nevertheless, Kuwabara," the red-haired boy admonished. This Kuwabara snorted, but said nothing else.

"But he isn't quite human, same as you," Neptune snapped. "Just who are you people, anyway?"

"People who answered your boss's call and got somethin' to contribute, that's all," said Kuwabara aloofly.

They rounded the corner, where the others were engaging the Sentinels. Jupiter used Sparkling Wide Pressure on one of them, but this time her aim was off, striking its faceplate instead. It still staggered back a little, giving Hiei an opening. He leaped onto its shoulder and began hacking away. Those swords of his actually penetrated quite deep. Unfortunately, one of the other Sentinels blasted Hiei off with a stun blast. Hiei hit the asphalt hard, and the Sentinel raised a foot to stomp him flat. It brought its foot down, but Beast saw Shadowcat dive for Hiei.

"You'll pay for that!" Kuwabara roared. He formed another spear with that strange energy and hurled it at the Sentinel's head. Again, it staggered back, and to Kuwabara's astonishment, when the Sentinel lifted its foot, Hiei and Shadowcat were crouching there, unharmed. Hiei looked down at himself, bewildered, then looked to Shadowcat, eyes still wide with confusion.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but these suckers are gettin' on my nerves," came the voice of another boy, one brimming with confidence. "C'mon ladies, once more with feeling."

Beast saw a boy with slicked-back black hair step up, flanked by Venus and Jupiter. He pointed his index finger up at Hiei's would-be killer. It suddenly glowed white-hot, and a massive blast of energy shot out. That, launched in tandem with Venus Love-and-Beauty Shock and Supreme Thunder, blasted the Sentinel's head off.

"Impressive, but we still have two more to deal with, Yusuke," said Kurama. "I have an idea, though. Beast, Sailor Venus, Hiei, it will require all of you working in unison..."

Beast had no idea who these boys were, and if Neptune was right, some of them harbored rather dark secrets. Yet it was clear which side they were on. So in the few seconds they had before the remaining Sentinels were upon them, he listened to Kurama's plan.

Lockheed swooped in, spewing bursts of flame to distract the two Sentinels as long as he could. That, along with the use of Jupiter Oak Evolution and shots from Cable's rifle, bought them all the time they needed. Kurama's rose whip and Venus's Venus Love-Me Chain wrapped around their lower legs, binding them together. Jupiter, Beast and Hiei then took hold of their bindings, and pulled with all their might.

Their combined strength was just enough to make the Sentinels topple backward. Just before they hit the ground, Kurama drove a shoot of bamboo into the asphalt. Huge shoots of bamboo erupted from the street, impaling the Sentinels as they came crashing down. Then more of those brambles sprouted within them, wreaking further havoc.

Silence fell over everyone as the dust settled and the Sentinels stopped writhing. Beast held Cable's rifle at the ready as he slowly stepped forward. Experience had taught him to never assume a Sentinel was really down. Thankfully, the mammoth machines did not stir, even if the brambles did.

Sighing, Beast turned to Kurama and said, "An impressive display of this power over plants, and quite an ingenious stratagem."

Kurama flashed a small smile. "Thank you. Coming from the fabled Dr. McCoy, that is quite a compliment indeed."

"So now that we've all bought each other a little breathin' space, mind tellin' us just what the deal is with these Sentinels? And what you Sailor Senshi and X-Men plan to do about them?" Yusuke demanded suddenly.

Neptune glowered at him. "You're not the only one who would like some answers. I've known for some time that two of your number are not even human. I thought little of it since Sailor Moon insisted we needed all the help we could yet. But after seeing such displays... Just who are all of you?"

Yusuke regarded Neptune carefully for a moment. "We're just detectives on the beat," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "Spirit Detectives, to be precise."

"Our superiors agreed with us that we should stay abreast of this situation, even though there is nothing supernatural at its roots," said Kurama.

Beast had a feeling pursuing this further would be fruitless. Besides, it was also unnecessary. These... 'Spirit Detectives' had bought them precious time. They had to make the most of it before more Sentinels arrived. "Going back to Yusuke's question, we are on our way to rendezvous with the other X-Men and Sailor Senshi. Sailor Mars believes she has pinpointed where these Sentinels were deployed from."

"So it's a mad dash to bust in there and shut 'em down," said Kuwabara.

"And they'd better dash, now," said Hiei. "This little dragon of yours that just flew back... I get the sense he's warning us of more Sentinels inbound." Beast gazed down the street, and sure enough, more of Kizachi's killing machines were closing in.

"Awwww, looks like we'll have to cover their escape," said Yusuke. "Too bad. Slugging it out back-to-back with the Sailor Senshi is somethin' I always wanted to do. They're quite easy on the eyes..."

That was when Beast heard a yelp from Jupiter. Turning back, he glimpsed Yusuke kneeling to lift up her skirt. Jupiter clocked him so hard, he was knocked flat on his ass. A normal boy would be out for hours, at the very least. Yusuke, however, looked quite amused with himself, laughing as he rubbed his face.

"If you're quite done making a fool of yourself, Urameshi, any ideas about what to do next?" Hiei scoffed.

Yusuke chuckled as he stood back up. Looking to Kurama, he said, "Hey Kurama, it's a lot to ask, but think you can welcome those Sentinels to the jungle? Y'know, to die?"

"Yusuke, you... Actually, that's a good idea," Hiei admitted.

Kurama gazed toward the Sentinels fast approaching. "It's a tall order, but I believe I can manage."

"That's the cue for you X-Men and Senshi to bug out," said Kuwabara. He conjured two swords from that same glowing energy. "We'll hold those things here, give you a chance to get clear."

"Besides, these things must pay for literally trying to stomp me out," Hiei added. Beast then saw a glowing third eye open on his forehead. No doubt this 'Jagen Eye' he mentioned earlier.

"Well, thanks guys," said Venus. "Try not to get yourself killed."

Yusuke smiled at her. "Oh, the stories I could tell you girls..."

All of the Sailor Senshi and X-Men made it to the roof of another building. After making it another block, Beast risked a glance back. As Kurama promised, it was like he created a mini-jungle in the middle of that street. Tall trees shot up to block the Sentinels' advance, and then thorny vines ensnared them. Flashes of bright light went off within those trees, no doubt Kuwabara and Yusuke giving it their all. Beast looked ahead, determined to give this mission his all, and get those Sentinels off those boys' backs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sailor Moon had no idea what they'd find following Mars and Uranus's lead. She certainly hadn't expected it would take them into this creepy forest on the outskirts of the Juban district. Some fog lingered along the ground. Though the moon was nearly full, tall trees kept most of the moonlight out. Given that, Sailor Moon was glad Wolverine took point. With his hearing and nose, Wolverine would notice anything fishy. At least, that was what Sailor Moon hoped.

Compared to their mad dash through the city in between Sentinel attacks, their pace through this forest was maddeningly slow. Wolverine often stopped to listen and sniff the air before motioning for the Sailor Senshi to move on. Nothing had attacked them since entering this forest. They seemed to be quite alone.

Yet that only made Sailor Moon MORE fearful. She had expected this place to be crawling with Sentinels. Any second now, one would emerge from behind a tree to shoot them, Sailor Moon was sure of it.

But it didn't happen. Nothing but eerie silence greeted them, and it was driving Sailor Moon mad. At least back in the city, the insanity had kept Sailor Moon's mind occupied, focused. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, she couldn't help but dwell on everything that had happened.

It finally happened, the Sentinels were let loose, Sailor Moon mused. Too many for even the Sailor Senshi to deal with. Oh, I hope those Magic Knights can hold out! And what about the other Senshi and X-Men!? Weren't they ordered to rendezvous with us? Where are they?

She got her answer when a sudden, stiff breeze blew away some of that fog. Looking up, Sailor Moon had to squint to see Storm lowering herself down, her black uniform camouflaging her in the forest's gloomy darkness. She landed gracefully, turning around to reveal Chibi-Moon being held close. Cable landed with Mercury a moment later.

"You guys made it!" Sailor Moon cried, running up to them. "Oh, with all the Sentinels attacking, we were afraid some of you, well..."

"Worry not, Sailor Moon. We prevailed, as you did, obviously," said Storm. "More importantly, we aided the... defenders of the Ryuuzaki mansion against the first wave, buying them time to prepare for the second."

"You had help, too?" Mars asked. "We got an assist from some... mutual friends as well."

"Our group, in addition, received some unexpected aid in the proverbial nick of time," came Beast's voice from the foggy depths of the forest. Everyone turned to see Beast and Shadowcat emerging from that fog, followed closely by Venus, Neptune and Jupiter.

Then there was a loud snort. Shadowcat turned as Lockheed flew from the direction Sailor Moon's group was heading. She offered her arm as a perch for the little dragon.

"Sounds like Lockheed found something up ahead," said Shadowcat. "He didn't spot any Sentinels, though. Weird. Did your group already eviscerate the ones in this forest, Sailor Moon?"

"Not a single one, Kitty," said Wolverine. "No tracks, no signs of fire from their miniguns, nothin'. Creepiest damn thing."

"Can we be sure this 'resonance' Mars picked up on has anything to do with Kizachi, then?" Chibi-Moon asked. "Maybe it was just something to lure us away."

"No. Lockheed just found something, remember?" said Luna. "Now that everyone's finally together, we should move in."

"I hear you, Luna. We need to do this before the luck of those... detectives runs out," said Shadowcat.

"You and Beast got some help, right?" Sailor Moon asked, curious. "Who were they?"

"They weren't exactly forthcoming with answers," Neptune grumbled.

"Still, I am super-jealous of you right now, Sailor Moon," said Shadowcat. "Most of the time it's like pulling teeth back West, getting help from other superheroes when the X-Men really need it. A few words from you on TV, and every superpowered non-mutant in Japan comes out of the woodwork."

Sailor Moon didn't know how to reply to that. She had had no idea what to expect after the Sailor Senshi pulled that stunt. She certainly hadn't dared hope for this much outpouring of support, let alone the emergence of people with such power.

She looked in the direction Lockheed had flown back from. There was something hidden in this forest. Mars, Uranus and Lockheed couldn't all be wrong. "Well, it sounds like everyone else who's fighting are counting on us," said Sailor Moon.

"Agreed. If Erina Kizachi's base of operations is in here, we must find it," said Storm.

And so, Storm now took point with Wolverine, flying slightly ahead. Beast leaped up into the trees, keeping a watchful eye as the rest advanced on foot. All the while, Mercury kept her visor up, scanning the area, as did Cable with his bionic eye. He drew a handgun and held it at the ready.

With the full strength of both teams now assembled, Sailor Moon realized she should feel safer. But the eerie ambience of this forest, the darkness and silence shrouding the unknown, still filled her with unease.

It took a few more minutes to find what Lockheed had spotted. There, in the middle of this creepy forest, was some sort of mansion. But it looked like it was abandoned. The windows looked fogged up, some broken, and ivy had crept up many of the walls.

"THIS is where the Sentinels launched from!?" Jupiter cried incredulously. "Definitely not what I expected. Doesn't exactly scream Kizachi's taste in architecture."

"Kizachi's secondary site must be underground, then. Just like the place you guys trashed," said Artemis.

"Yet this strange resonance is coming from the mansion itself," said Mars.

"Well, we won't find any answers standin' out here jabberin'," said Wolverine gruffly. "If there's an entrance to whatever's hidden underground, it's probably in there."

Somehow, Wolverine's words restored a bit of Sailor Moon's confidence. "So let's not waste any more time," said Sailor Moon. "We all had to leave behind people still fighting Sentinels, right? Let's do something with the time they bought us!"

"You're the boss," said Wolverine as he walked up the steps. His claws were still out. He used them to make short work of the double door's locks, then kicked them open.

Sailor Moon followed close behind, stepping into what looked like the cathedral of a church. Yet just like the forest outside, it had this eerie vibe to it.

Outside, Storm issued orders to the others. "Cable, Mercury, Mars, Neptune, let's follow them in. Between the four of you and Wolverine, we might uncover whatever secrets are hidden within. The rest of you, split into two teams to investigate the mansion's two wings."

"Ummm, excuse me, but we Sailor Senshi still take our orders from the princess, not..." Uranus began.

"Just do it, Uranus!" Sailor Moon shouted back. "Storm's been at this longer than any of us."

Sailor Moon swore she could hear Uranus's grumbling, but thankfully, neither she nor anyone else voiced any other objections. Sighing, Sailor Moon strode up to Wolverine. He had already made it halfway down the main hall. Their footsteps kicked up clouds of dust. "That nose of yours pick up anything yet?" she asked him.

She didn't expect him to, so she was surprised by Wolverine's answer. "Actually, I am gettin' traces of Kizachi's scent. She's definitely been here, but I can't quite tell how long ago."

"It may still be a dead-end," said Cable. "I've completed two sweeps with my bionic eye, but I'm not detecting anything funny down below. Let alone any entrances into an underground lair."

"Sadly, it's the same story with my visor," said Mercury. "Whatever Kizachi's built around here, it's shielded quite well."

"No luck with my Deep Aqua Mirror, either," Neptune added. "Is it possible this was a blind after all?"

"I'm starting to think so," said Mars. "The resonance is stronger than ever, and I'm starting to sense its focal point to be slightly beneath us. But I'm still not sure what to make of it. Kizachi's studied us for over a year, right? It could very well be something to draw us away, using our skills against us."

"Oh, I'm flattered you realize I'm quite capable of that, Rei Hino," came a chilling voice from nowhere. "But no, I made no efforts to throw you Sailor Senshi or the X-Men off the scent. Why bother? It was only a matter of time before I would face your collective wrath. I fervently hoped it would be here. On my terms, on my turf."

Sailor Moon's gaze swept all over the main hall, trying to spot the madwoman who had conspired against her for so long. She caught the sudden appearance of something white right behind Wolverine. There was also the twinkle of light reflected off dark lenses.

"Logan, behind you!" she cried out. Sailor Moon hadn't even finished her warning before Wolverine whirled around, slashing at the figure. Erina Kizachi flickered, and the claws passed through her, her whole body dissolving like mist.

Kizachi reappeared close to Mars, strolling past her. "I'm not quite sure how you tracked me down, though, Hino. I didn't leave a trail of bread crumbs or anything." That projection dissolved away, just as another one appeared close to Cable and Neptune. "You two are clearly itching for a confrontation. Shall we begin, or was there anything you wanted to know before this finally ends?" she asked in a singsong voice, walking past the pair.

Both of them looked ready to lunge at Kizachi, useless as that would be. It was Mars who answered her. "Just what is this place, and what is it you have here that's resonating with the mansion's evil aura?"

Kizachi stared at her a moment before her projection vanished, only to reappear near Sailor Moon. Despite knowing this Kizachi was just a hologram, Sailor Moon felt queasy. Kizachi wasn't looking at her as she strode leisurely, and maybe it was the darkness, but Kizachi actually looked confused.

"I'm not quite sure about the latter. Could it be, does the artifact really..." But Kizachi shook her head, banishing whatever thoughts troubled her. "In any case, that's not important. If I brought you to me by accident, so be it. As for the former, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out, Hino. This place... You, Tsukino and Mizuno had to deal with the ramifications of what happened here many, many times."

"What are you talking about?" Mercury demanded. "What's so special about this place?"

"Your scans have truly revealed nothing?" Kizachi asked, sounding surprised. She disappeared, then reappeared right behind Mercury. She refused to show fear, standing her ground, but Sailor Moon could tell the roboticist was beginning to unnerve Mercury. "I thought better of the Sailor Senshi's capabilities. Surely, if your visor elucidated the truth behind Eclipse's power, it must reveal how this mansion was connected to Masato Sanjoin."

"You mean that joker Nephrite?" Wolverine growled. "What's he got to do with this place?"

Kizachi smiled evilly. "It was here, through studying the movement of heavenly bodies, that Beryl's minion selected targets for energy collection. Which included me."

"YOU were targeted by Nephrite!?" Sailor Moon cried, horrified. "We never knew, never... How did you survive?"

Kizachi snorted. "You're not the only one with a... storied family lineage, Tsukino," she said evasively before vanishing again. She reappeared in the center of the hall. "The important thing is that I thwarted his ploy, and decided to investigate further. I began learning about you and the Sailor Senshi long before the Makai Tree decimated my condo as a result. So when Nephrite met his end, dying in Osaka's arms, I knew I had witnessed something significant. At the time, I didn't know what, but I kept an eye on your friend nonetheless. How fortunate that I did. I detected the presence of an X-gene in Osaka long before her mutant powers emerged."

Kizachi paused for a moment, looking around the mansion's main hall. "And this place... How fitting it ends here. Nephrite's youma fueled my obsession with perfection, and he commissioned me to create Sentinels for his own use. His plan failed, but it birthed the designs for this current breed of Sentinels. And they've launched from his most important piece of property, bought up after his demise."

"And as a further bit of revenge, you ruined the life of the girl Nephrite gave his life to protect," Storm spat. "Vengeance against Nephrite, against Sailor Moon, against the yakuza, everyone who ever wronged you in your eyes. You seem to believe your actions serve a greater good, yet a thirst for petty revenge taints everything."

Kizachi stared at Storm for a moment, then shook her head, sighing. "I expected something like that from one of the Sailor Senshi, but I was hoping for something a little more intelligent from you, Munroe."

"What do you mean?" Storm demanded.

Kizachi's projection vanished once again, then reappeared to make it look like she just walked into the main hall. "Maybe if Aino was with you right now, she'd ask the obvious questions. There's no shortage of supervillains connected to you 'heroes' that I could have partnered with. Victor von Doom, the Mandarin, Norman Osborn, the Leader, even that arrogant sod Loki... So ask yourself: Why choose Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, when my biggest achievement was perfecting the weapon meant to slaughter his kind? Why him?"

"You already said you knew Naru is a mutant before she did," said Sailor Moon. "And you wanted to use her against me. Who better than someone who fancies himself a savior to mutants everywhere?"

"Ahhh, quite true Tsukino, quite true," said Kizachi airily. Kizachi's projection wasn't looking at her, so hopefully she wouldn't see her casting quick, furtive glances at Cable and Mercury. They shook their heads slightly. Still no luck pinpointing the source of these projections, or a pathway down to her. "But there's far more to it than that. The truth is, I approached Lehnsherr because I came to share his vision. Yes, despite being a mere Homo sapien at the end of the day, I now know Lehnsherr is right."

"So you would see him slaughter millions of your own kind, if it suited him?" Storm snarled. "As if your thirst for vengeance wasn't sickening enough."

"I care nothing for my fellow humans anymore. Not since I lost Erika," said Kizachi calmly.

"Has the loss of your daughter caused you so much pain, it's driven out what humanity you once had?" Storm went on, incredulous.

Finally, something broke through that veneer of calm. Her projection had walked quite close to Storm, and rounded on her, pointing. "Don't any of you get it, Munroe!? My daughter was ONE OF YOU!"

Silence fell upon the hall as Kizachi's words sank in. Sailor Moon stared at Kizachi's projection, mouth agape. Eventually, words came out. "Y-Y-Y-You mean, your daughter, s-s-s-she was actually..."

"A mutant, Tsukino?" Kizachi finished for her. "Yes. My only child, one of Homo superior! But I didn't learn of it until the day the Makai Tree grew out of control. Erika tried using the power she kept hidden to save people caught up in the chaos. No doubt she wanted to emulate her hero, Sailor Moon. But she never got a chance to practice using that power, not like the X-Men do. She couldn't really control it, and THAT'S what did her in, right before my very eyes!"

"So that's what you meant by not believing Sailor Moon was the direct cause of your daughter's death," said Storm. "Still, this doesn't explain your mad quest for revenge against her."

"Doesn't it, Munroe!?" Kizachi shrieked. "Like I said, Erika kept her power locked away. Even as Erika was dying, I saw the shame in her eyes. She was MORTIFIED about being a mutant! She must have been terrified I'd found out one day, that it would bring shame upon our family! Nothing could've been further from the truth. My daughter, part of the next phase of human evolution!? It would have been an honor! And she died in my arms before I could even give her that peace of mind!"

Kizachi's projection rounded on Sailor Moon. Even with those dark lenses hiding her eyes, Sailor Moon felt the weight of that hateful stare. "And this is where your failure lies, Tsukino! Wasn't the family of the Moon Kingdom supposed to guide humanity, to encourage them to better themselves!? Yet beneath the surface, our society and culture have the same flaws on display elsewhere. From the outside, it looked like we tolerated mutants, especially when compared to the United States. But Erika's death made it abundantly clear how they are still shunned, encouraged to keep their power submerged, lest they bring shame."

Sailor Moon couldn't believe what she was hearing. Bad enough to learn someone had died because of her blunder at the Juban Odyssey. But Kizachi not only blamed her, but their society as a whole? And that anger drove her to do all this? Despite everything Kizachi had done, Sailor Moon felt pity. To harbor that much hate and pain...

"Kizachi, I am so, so sorry about what happened to your daughter," Sailor Moon finally got out, tears in her eyes. "And if I could go back and change what happened that day, I would. But why do all this? Why bring Japan to the brink of being torn apart? It won't bring Erika back."

"No, but it'll make you and our entire country face a reckoning," Kizachi spat back coldly. "You're supposed to be Princess Serenity, heir to the Moon Kingdom. Reborn to usher in a new golden age for humanity? Feh! No, you think you just blow away some monster every other week, and your work is done. While children like my daughter suffer in silence, fearing shame. You're supposed to show humans a better path, show them the virtues of love and justice! Instead, Erika buried her secret, and never had an opportunity to learn control. So when it came time to use it, it meant her death.

"From that point on, my only reason for living was to make you pay for that oversight, but my options were limited. After observing you so long, I knew it was useless to threaten your family, or use any of the Sailor Senshi against you. You're always claiming your bonds of friendship are too strong, Tsukino, and you're right.

"So I took away everything else. Turned Naru Osaka against you, have your heart ripped out due to your negligence. And then rob you of the country you thought you knew. It didn't take much to rip away that veneer of tolerance, did it? Now you see the ugliness in the hearts of all those you fought to protect. When all is said and done, it's my fellow humans here in Japan that will have to hang their heads in shame! Sentinels on the march, the vote done in secret! But their hypocrisy is now laid bare for all the world to see!"

"S-S-S-So, this is what you meant by a fire rising," Sailor Moon said, her voice trembling. "Y-Y-You're really willing to let Japan burn, just to teach me and all the humans a lesson?"

"You are so full of shit," Wolverine snapped, making Kizachi turn to him. "You claim you care about us mutants? This was your solution, your way of honoring your daughter's memory? Make even deadlier Sentinels? Make it so mutant children all over Japan have to live in terror?"

Kizachi shook her head. "You'd think someone who's been around for over a century could see the big picture!" she scoffed. "Weren't you listening? The whole point was to show Japan's mutants that nowhere is safe. Now that they see that, Lehnsherr has everything he needs. Plenty of mutants in this country will flock to him, and what's happened in Japan can be used to convince those in other nations!"

Kizachi turned back to Sailor Moon. "You had your chance, Princess Serenity. A chance to make your message of love and justice a reality. Now, Magneto will come and fill that void! If I had to lose my daughter because of you, at least I'll have the satisfaction of seeing Magneto build a world where your vision is stamped out! One where Erika would have been on top of the food chain!"

"You're forgetting about us! We'll never let Magneto win!" came a voice from the walls on the left. Sailor Moon turned to see Shadowcat phasing through it, Lockheed perched on her shoulder. Tuxedo Kamen and Venus walked through the wall with Shadowcat, holding her hands, while Chibi-Moon rode piggyback on the former. "You're so wrong, Kizachi. Sailor Moon stepped up before Magneto could, and got people to step up and protect mutants. This country is in turmoil, but it's because plenty aren't buying what you're selling, and they never will!"

Everyone then turned when something smashed through the doors on the adjacent wall. Beast stepped through with Jupiter, Uranus and the cats. "Indubitably, it seems the phrase 'Better late than never' applies here, Erina Kizachi," said Beast. "Sailor Moon has indeed appealed to her countrymen's better angels, and thousands upon thousands answered the call. Mutants in Japan now know terror, and have seen the ugly side of human nature, but they've seen much more as well. Things you still refuse to see."

"And that refusal also ties into a glaring tactical oversight," Storm added. "Sailor Moon wound up recruiting allies capable of beating back your Sentinels. They're still doing so as we speak. The Sailor Senshi and X-Men aren't alone in this fight."

Kizachi regarded them all coldly for a moment. "Looks to me, however, that none of your new allies are here. Which suits me just fine. Let them take down my Sentinels. Win or lose, the damage is done, even if you lot are too naïve to see it. In the meantime... Summers, Mizuno, you need not bother scanning for an entrance anymore. It's always best to come to your enemy, on your own terms..."

The projection faded. The instant it did, the entire mansion quaked. It shook so violently, wooden boards from the roof fell to the floor below. "Yeow!" Sailor Moon wailed, barely ducking aside to avoid being pinned by one.

More rained down as cracks formed in the walls and windows shattered. Cable conjured a telekinetic barrier above them to shield everyone. "Everyone back outside, now!" Cable cried. "Move! Move!"

There were no objections. Everyone clambered for the front entrance as the shaking got worse. Sailor Moon was one of the last to make it there. She heard the floorboards crack apart just before she would have rushed outside. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw something emerge from the floor. It looked like the head of one of Kizachi's Sentinels, only much bigger. And it still had those sallow eyes that shriveled your soul...

Shrieking, Sailor Moon finally rushed outside with the others, just as Nephrite's secret mansion collapsed in on itself. It kicked up a huge cloud of dirt and debris, which mingled with that creepy fog. At first, nothing could be seen within that plume of dirt, except for those glowing eyes from whatever it was.

And then, the thing the plume obscured rose, revealing the biggest, bulkiest, and scariest Sentinel that Sailor Moon had ever seen, though it had a slightly feminine shape. It had to be pushing forty meters tall at the very least, taller than some of these trees! The moon was at its back, and as that monstrous thing rose, it slowly cast a shadow over them all. Glancing to her left, Sailor Moon saw Mars and Neptune looking up, eyes wide with disbelief.

Some of the X-Men themselves echoed this. "Oh no no no no no, Kizachi went and did it," Shadowcat grumbled. "She went and made her own damn Mastermold!"

"What's... a Mastermold!?" Chibi-Moon cried out fearfully.

"Simply put, a titanic Sentinel that can mass-produce other Sentinels," said Beast. "If nothing else, this explains why Kizachi was willing to sacrifice the other Sentinels. And how she swiftly constructed so many new ones after the initial trial run."

The colossal abomination took a step forward. The ground quaked, coaxing everyone to fall back further. Now that Mastermold stepped out of that cloud it had kicked up, Sailor Moon could see more of it. It also had one of those huge jet turbines in its chest, and two things like trap doors on either side of its belly, possibly something to do with assembling its 'children'. But what caught Sailor Moon's eye was something right above the turbine, hovering under its neck. A small outcropping like a bubble. It was a glass barrier, and inside was Erina Kizachi, sitting in some sort of cockpit.

She smirked evilly down at the Sailor Senshi and X-Men. In place of her glasses, now she wore some sort of dark visor. Kizachi had fastened some weird, pinkish, glowing diamond-shaped apparatus with wires attached right below her neck, then grabbed two control sticks and thrust them forward. Mastermold lurched forward again, forcing them even further back.

"End of the line for one of us, Sailor Moon!" Kizachi taunted, her voice booming from Mastermold. "You've had a perfect record against 'bad guys' like me so far. But as they say, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take! In hindsight, it's not much of a surprise that Naru Osaka's betrayal and Japan falling into chaos couldn't break you. So I'll settle for grinding your corpse underfoot!"

Words failed Sailor Moon. How were they supposed to fight THIS!? But just as despair threatened to overwhelm her, Sailor Moon felt something. A gentle probing, in the back of her mind.

"Hang in there, Sailor Moon." It was Cable's voice, speaking telepathically. "This time, I have a good reason to be poking inside your head."

"Wait a minute, when did you..." Sailor Moon began. But then, strange sensations flooded into her mind. No, not quite sensations, but feelings and thoughts not her own. It took Sailor Moon a moment to realize what was happening. Uranus had told her the X-Men gave them a pounding due to how Cable kept all their minds linked up. And now, he was extending that link to the Sailor Senshi.

No longer fearful, Sailor Moon stopped resisting and let Cable do his thing. Through his link, more of the essences of the X-Men seeped into her psyche. It was indescribable, this intimate connection to all of them. It proved once and for all how she was right to seek them out, even if they had no easy answers.

Wolverine's courage and refusal to yield. Beast's gentleness of spirit, love of knowledge and care for his students. Cable's determination, and his struggle to balance the importance of his mission with the needs of his charges. Shadowcat's boisterous spirit and love for her friends. Storm's nobility, inner beauty and sense of duty to her team. All of this flooded into Sailor Moon, the X-Men lending their strength to her own.

More importantly, she felt the minds of her fellow Sailor Senshi touch hers. All those she had fought side-by-side with, now they were connected more deeply than ever before. Mars's fiery spirit, Jupiter's unyielding resolve, Mercury's calm thoughtfulness, Venus's sense of justice, Tuxedo Kamen's undying commitment to her, and Chibi-Moon's boundless love for everyone... Sailor Moon could feel it all, touching her soul like never before. She even felt Artemis and Luna's minds link up with her own.

But Sailor Moon could feel Uranus and Neptune resisting the link. Furious, she sent out her thoughts. "Uranus, Neptune, stop fighting it and let Cable link you up! If Mastermold is gonna go down, it'll be because we're ALL working together! This is how we'll do it!"

She caught flashes of their irritation and reluctance, but the Outer Senshi did as ordered. In a flash, she understood their fears, driving them to do what they did against the Death Busters. But that was in the past. They were all together now. One group, one purpose.

Her fears banished, Sailor Moon produced her kaleidoscope and pointed it up at Kizachi's cockpit. "Alright Erina Kizachi, in the name of the Moon and mutants everywhere... We'll punish you!"