Game Center Crown; Secret Base

Luna yawned as she read over the display on the sensor readout. "Nothing again, Artemis."

Artemis nodded as he read over another display. "Same. The solar system has been quiet. It's a nice change of pace."

"Do not get used to it." Charlotte was leaning over another monitor, reading the symbols that flashed across the screen. "Someone is scanning the planet. Specifically New York."

Luna and Artemis bounded across the room to join Charlotte .

Luna tapped a button and a new window opened. "The scan seems to be moving in a grid pattern, but I can't tell where it's coming from."

Artemis checked another monitor, adjusting something. "It's being relayed from orbit. Whatever it is, it isn't from Earth."

"Tracing it now." Charlotte's fingers flew across the keyboard. "I'm getting some distortion, but the signal appears to be originating from Mars."

"Mars?" Luna asked incredulously. "Are you sure?"

Artemis pressed a few buttons. "I'm getting the same result. The signal seems to be coming from somewhere on Mars."

Luna frowned. "What are they scanning for?"

Charlotte typed in a few commands, reading her monitor as it responded. "I am uncertain. It would require several hours of assessment to determine that."

"Can we find out who's behind it?" Artemis asked.

Charlotte shook her head. "Not unless we can hack into the relay, but we are unable to interact with it. Our available technology is incompatible."

Luna's tail flicked back and forth as she thought. "Is there an immediate danger?"

Charlotte shook her head again. "Whoever is scanning is trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. The only reason we detected it was because our sensors on the Moon picked it up before it got to the relay. I do not think we are in any immediate danger."

Luna nodded. "Keep an eye on it, Charlotte and if anything else happens, let us know. Otherwise, we'll alert the Scouts in the morning."

Charlotte nodded. "Get some sleep. I suspect you may need it."

The Tsukino House - 2 days later

"Serena, wake up!"

"No school today, let me sleep, Luna," Serena mumbled through her pillow.

Luna sighed. "Serena, it's almost noon already. Do you plan on sleeping all day?"

"You do it all the time."

"I do not sleep all day!" Luna protested. "I take lots of catnaps, admittedly, but at least I'm awake most of the time."

"Mm-hm," Serena began to doze off again.

Grumbling, Luna pulled open the curtains then pulled the pillow off Serena's head. "Come on lazy-bones, there's some scout business to investigate."

Serena raised her head, opening one eye. "Is someone being attacked?"

"Well, no, but-"

"It can wait," Serena snatched up her pillow and covered her head with it.

"Serena, if you don't get up now, I will have Rei come over to wake you up and you know she won't be nice about it!"

Serena sighed. "Fine, but don't expect me to be happy about it. What's got you worked up anyway?"

Luna settled on her haunches as Serena dragged herself out of bed and got dressed. "Someone's been scanning the planet and we may have a new enemy."

Serena wearily sank into her bed, shoulders hunched. She sighed. "There's always a new enemy. You'd think they'd wise up and learn not to mess with us."

"One would think," Luna responded. "If you're ready, we're meeting the others at the arcade."

"Not until after breakfast!" Serena chirped, bouncing off her bed and out the door.

Luna sighed. "Typical. The whole world could be in danger and the first thing you think of is your stomach."

Game Center Crown

"You're late," Artemis grumbled as Serena and Luna walked through the doorway.

"I need my sleep," Serena said through a mouthful of donut. "and Luna said it wasn't that important."

Artemis rolled his eyes in exasperation as Luna grumbled. "I didn't say it wasn't important, I said nobody was being attacked. Honestly, you're unbelievable at times."

Serena looked around. "Where's Rei?"

"Her grandpa is sick," Lita answered. "She's staying at the shrine to take care of him."

Mina leaned against one of the games. "What did you bring us here for anyway?"

Artemis placed his paw on the Sailor V game."It's easier to show you," he said as the game slid backwards, revealing the entrance to the scouts' secret base.

The group followed Artemis inside. Across the room, Charlotte was busy checking over a monitor. She spoke without looking up. "Two days ago, someone or something began scanning the most densely populated areas on Earth. They started on the East coast of the United States, before scanning down through South America, over to Africa up to Europe, then the Middle East. Early this morning they checked China. They just finished in Seoul, South Korea and I believe Tokyo is next," Charlotte concluded.

Ami frowned. "What are they looking for?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Uncertain. From what I can deduce, and it isn't much, they are using a specific genetic code to look for a specific person or group of people."

Lita frowned. "Do we know who?"

Charlotte shook her head. "No idea. All we know is it is originating from Mars and being relayed through something in Earth's orbit."

Darien stroked his chin as he considered. "Whatever they're looking for, we can probably assume they haven't found it yet."

Serena glanced to Darien. "What makes you say that?"

"If you were looking for something, wouldn't you stop if you found it?" Darien replied.

Ami glanced over the monitor. "Are we sure they aren't looking at big cities as targets?"

Mina nodded. "Ami's right. They could be targeting every major city on Earth."

The monitor let out a pinging sound as text flew across the screen. Charlotte frowned. "They have begun scanning Tokyo."

The others looked up as if they could see the stood in silence for several minutes, waiting for something to happen.

The monitor let out another pinging sound and Charlotte looked worried as she read the display again. "Whatever they are looking for, I think they found it. They've scanned the same area of Tokyo four times now. I estimate there is cause for concern. They are focusing on the Juuban District."

The scouts shared worried glances.

Mina frowned. "Do you think they could be looking for us?"

"We'll know in a moment," Charlotte replied. "Their grid is narrowing down."

There was a tense silence as the screen showed the location of the scan moving in ever smaller circles until it finally stopped.

"Char?" Lita asked.

Charlotte's gaze remained fixed on the monitor. "They have found who they are looking for. The scan has focused to Hikawa Shrine."

"What do they want Rei for?" Serena asked.

Lita clenched her fists. "It doesn't matter. If they think they can come after her, they've got another thing coming."

Another monitor flashed red as text flew across it. Luna bounded over and read it. "You better transform. There's a ship entering orbit and it's moving fast."

The control room was filled with a flash of many colored lights as the Senshi and Darien transformed. Once finished, they left the arcade, dashing past a worried looking Motoki.

"What's going on, guys?" he asked.

Sailor Jupiter looked back long enough to reply. "Rei might be in trouble."