42: "Plans within plans"

Luckily Minako was not one to take setbacks lightly, and now that she had a decent layout of the prison, she could formulate a plan for getting out. She spent quite a lot of her time going through all the old prison escape movies she had watched over the years, remembering the most effective plans usually involved digging underground or through a wall. Unfortunately, they all involved either large crews or considerable amounts of time, of which she had neither. She also tried to remember any film or discussion that might have been shared with Ami—not out of wistful nostalgia, but whether she agreed or disapproved of the methods used. Because they had once been in the Senshi business, Minako had made it a priority for everyone to think of different ways they could liberate themselves from these situations, since they were often thrown into them. Minako was a fair hand at untying ropes and even squeezing through cuffs (unless Ami fastened them on); bars were a bit outside her expertise, but not impossible.

While this was going on, Hotaru, Naru, Umino, and Usagi crept through the city under cover of darkness, heading for Tsukino's apartment. Vanity wasn't the only reason she wanted to stop by her place; there were lots of police-issue tools she kept at home which would prove invaluable to their plans. Usagi also had food, water, and medicine to spare, which they had neglected in their mad dash from the hospital, and which Umino had little.

"It hasn't been easy shopping these past few days," he had said.

"I can bet," Usagi had said. "I'm glad I splurged before all this happened. Hopefully nothing's gone bad." They first had to sneak through several blocks, each lined with patrols. There were no safe routes: whether their vigilance was inspired by the former Senshis' antics or by the persistence and ingenuity of the common citizen, every street, alley, sewer, and skyline was being watched, and those found outside after certain hours were either escorted back home—if they were lucky—or detained—if they weren't. Distracting the soldiers was futile, because as soon as any number left their post, more poured in to fill the gap. Their only hope was to pick their way slowly across, sticking to the shadows and moving as little as possible. The women had a slight advantage thanks to their smaller size, but Umino had worn dark clothing, and moved so silently that sometimes even his traveling companions lost sight of him.

It took a long time, but eventually they all made it to Usagi's house. She excused herself so she could change, instructing her guests to take whatever they thought would be useful. She came out just as Umino and Hotaru were debating whether or not to take anything that needed refrigeration, decked out in full Shibuya Police Department regalia. Furthermore, her hair was greatly altered as well: the various altercations and chases they had went through had unraveled her trademark buns, leaving her hair to flow freely. It was now tied in a long singular braid, making her look significantly more stately. Altogether she gave off the impression of a professional woman in her late twenties, still blithe behind the badge but ready for the harsh road ahead.

Umino whistled. "Wow, the uniform really suits you."

"And I love what you've done with your hair," Naru added, caressing the braid gently. "I know the buns were your trademark and all, but the mature look is definitely flattering."

"I think so, too," Usagi added with a smile. "I figured I was long overdue for a change."

"But you do realize Japan's police forces are being rounded up and forced into our new overlords' services," Hotaru mentioned. "Wouldn't wearing that uniform draw too much attention?"

"I know it might cause trouble, everyone, but it just didn't feel right to go out there again and not represent the police. If I can't be Sailor Moon, I at least want to be Officer Tsukino. It's who I am. Besides," she grinned, "as Umino pointed out, I look really cool wearing it. It compliments my figure."

"And that's what's important," Naru grinned sheepishly. "So where to now?"

"Since Hotaru mentioned it, I think I should check in on the police. Since they've been forced into working with these people, they might have some valuable inside information. I should at least let them know I'm okay."

"Good idea. What about us?"

"Stay with Hotaru. I have no doubt in my mind that the other Senshi will be looking for her, and this is one of the most obvious places to start."

"You mean you're going out there by yourself?" Usagi smiled in spite of Hotaru's fretful expression.

"And I plan on getting captured. You said that the police are being rounded up, right? This suit's my ticket to getting close to them."

"Very clever," Umino said, nodding as he rubbed his chin. "Very clever indeed."

"I have my moments. Just let me grab a few things and I'll be off."

"Just like that?" Naru said. Usagi winked.

"I've spent enough time resting; I'm aching for some action."

"I meant..." She fumbled, glancing away shyly. Naru wanted to be with Usagi more, as friends, away from all this stress and madness. Even after recently reuniting, they had only spared a few hours together. She missed her.

But she also knew there were more important matters at stake here. Often she had sacrificed her friendship with Usagi for this greater good, and now she would be returning to her old habits. "Never mind," she smiled sadly. "Good luck out there, and take care of yourself."

Whether she sensed Naru's need or not, Usagi embraced her oldest friend. She gave Umino a peck on the cheek and a quick handshake for Hotaru before slipping back outside. Naru sighed deeply.

Hours later, as they ate in brittle silence, the door shivered, startling them.

"Who do you think it is?" Naru said, grabbing a steak knife. Hotaru stood.

"Let me check."

"I should be the one doing it," Umino said, approaching the door. Hotaru touched his hand as he placed it over the knob.

"Powers or no, I'm still a Senshi, and it's still my job to protect you."

"Yeah, but..." He blushed, scratching his cheek. "I'm a...and you two are..."

"You're sweet," she whispered, kissing his cheek. Umino humbly stood back as Hotaru peered through the hole, and the tension eased as she opened the door and hugged the person on the other side.

"Papa!"

"Hey there, Firefly. I thought I told you to stay put." Hotaru looked shocked.

"Is that all you can say to me after all this time? You're not even going to ask if I'm all right or not?"

"That's kind of why I told you to stay where you were."

"I'm twenty-five now, papa. I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

"And where exactly have these decisions led you?" she prodded. Someone behind Haruka clucked their tongue.

"Oh, Haruka, really now. Hotaru's alive and well, and with good, trustworthy people in a safe place. What more could we ask for, given the circumstances?"

"I guess you're right," she relented, just as Hotaru bound out, squealing, "Setsuna!" She hugged the taller woman, beaming for joy. Setsuna laughed for joy and squeezed her ward tightly.

"I missed you too, Firefly. Just how have you all been faring, anyway?"

"It's a long story. Why not stay here for awhile and rest, and I can tell you? It's Usagi's house, but I'm sure she won't mind."

"So this is where the dumpling lives, eh?" Haruka poked her head inside, nodding listlessly to Naru and Umino. She didn't remember them, having only run into them once, but they remembered her, and waved politely. "Hmm, not bad. About as messy as I thought it'd be."

"Most of this stuff is Minako's," Naru explained.

"Hmm, I guess twins keep different cleaning habits."

"Enough of your jokes, Ruka," Setsuna said, gracefully gliding past and making herself at home. Shoes went off and a pot of tea was brewed; Haruka grabbed a chunk of bread from a slightly hardened baguette while Setsuna shared melon slices with her. Hotaru tried explaining as much as she could, going over everything she could recall from the past few days: what happened after she was separated from the others, how she made her way to the hospital, the fight with Ninurta (impressing her caretakers immensely by actually killing one of the godlike people), the escape from the hospital, Usagi's recovery, and finally, their slow crawl to their present location, ending at the point where Usagi parted from their company to infiltrate the police.

"I guess I owe you an apology, then," Haruka gestured, sipping her tea. "If you hadn't run off, that Ninurta guy would still be at large, and Usagi might very well be stuck at that hospital."

"Still, I'm sorry for making you worry."

"We're worried about everyone," Setsuna noted softly. "That's partly the reason why we came here: so we could bring all the Senshi together. Haruka guessed that you'd be here, and her instincts were correct."

"Usagi thought the same thing," Naru added. Setsuna playfully nudged Haruka.

"So I guess that means you two ladies are on the same wavelength!" Naru and Hotaru laughed with her, but Umino didn't get it. He cleared his throat and tried getting back to the topic.

"I like the idea of all the Sailor Senshi in one place, but what exactly are you going to do after that?"

"Well, they wouldn't all be in the same place: Minako and Makoto are still unaccounted for. My opinion is that they've been captured by the enemy and taken somewhere, but where that might be..." She shook her head, trailing off. Umino didn't seem so concerned.

"If they were captured...then it would stand to reason that someone would have found them and taken them somewhere, right? Currently, the police are working with the enemy, at least on the surface. Would they possibly know where all the, ah...troublemakers are kept?"

"Hey, that's a good point!" Naru exclaimed. "And if they knew that, then Usagi..."

"I see where you're going with this," Haruka said, leaning forward earnestly. "She'd learn where they're being kept and relay the info to us. Then it would only be a matter of getting there and getting Mina out. I'm surprised the dumpling thought of something so brilliant."

"It sounds like Usagi's actions hinge more on serendipity," Setsuna muttered, concealing her expression behind a teacup. "But she has always been blessed with strange luck. Well, now that we are all caught up, I would suggest bringing everyone back with us to the resistance base."

"But then nobody would be here for when Usagi comes back," Hotaru said nervously. "If she's able to."

"And we couldn't leave a note for one of those armored goons to find," Haruka mumbled.

"One concern at a time, please. I'm sure Usagi will sort through it all on her own."

"I'd still like to leave some indication of our plans," Umino sighed. He put a note on her refrigerator simply reading "Don't worry", then helped pack and lock up. Haruka and Setsuna led them through the area they had used to reach Usagi's place, and while it seemed no safer than any other path, they had a way of moving about nobody else had yet picked up on. It still took ages to reach the defunct cosmetics shop, but once they were there, Koan let them through. Michiru greeted Hotaru and Setsuna with a hug (Haruka got a much more intimate greeting), while Usagi's family warmly welcomed Naru and Umino into their number. Frankly, Umino was surprised that so many people knew of the Senshi's identity, but he soon learned that they could all be trusted.

"We're receiving word that more and more people are joining these underground resistance movements," Kenji Tsukino said. "While I'm not surprised that the majority of Tokyo's citizens are dissatisfied with the way things are, it does fill me with some pride to see how boldly they're behaving."

"And it could all backfire if any of them are discovered."

"Well, we've been sharing security tips with each other, and a collective method's much harder to beat. Our enemies may be gods, but they're baffled by most modern technology. But you're right: it's probably only a matter of time. That's why we need to strike soon."

"With what?" he snorted. Kenji didn't have an answer. Umino sighed and polished his glasses. "It sounds to me like all of this hinges on getting your daughter and her friends together. While that might sound nice in theory, the truth is that at the moment, they're no stronger than you or I. I'm sure that if we got enough people together, we'd be able to beat back a portion of their forces, and if the military or the national guard got involved, we may hold our own. But the ones in charge are extremely powerful; Usagi says one of them was able to steal powers from at least two Senshi. I hate to keep harping about this, but what can people like us...what could anyone do against that force?"

"Umino, do you want me to admit that we're lost, without any sort of plan? I'm aware of how helpless we really are, believe me. But a man's got to hold onto some hope, even if it's ultimately futile. I'd rather go down fighting in a losing battle, with that impossible chance burning in my heart, than stand around and let things continue the way they are. Do you understand?"

"More than I can express," he answered solemnly. "So we're going down the 'desperate and crazy' route, eh? We humans do seem to have a predilection for it."

"It's not as though we'll be charging in blindly," he added. "Powers or no, Usagi's friends have a lot of experience with this sort of thing. They might come up with something that actually gives us a fighting chance."

"I'll concede to that. Do you at least have an idea on how to get Aino and Kino?"

"Actually, we've made a few plans already, even though we have no idea where they are. The Ayakashi sisters are quite brilliant when all their minds are put to a single task, and Ryo and Shinozaki have been a great help. Of course, I wouldn't turn down any additional expertise." Umino smiled, fixing his glasses just so on his nose.

"I'm your man, Mr. Tsukino! I was quite the informational encyclopedia back in high school. I'll bet I can add a few scenarios to your list." Umino found that his old teacher, Haruna Sakurada, along with the television reporter, Kotono Sarashina, had joined the team, and smiled as he sidled next to Ami, who greeted him warmly.

"It's been a long time, Gurio."

"First name basis, Mizuno? But we barely know each other."

"A friend of Usagi's and Naru's is a friend of mine. Besides, you've always been my rival."

"I thought that was Urawa," he muttered slyly. Ami smiled shyly.

"He's...different. So what would you like to contribute, my friend? Here's a plan I just developed; it's not much."

"Still as humble as ever, eh?" he murmured, carefully peering over her sketches. The group worked through the day and into the hazy hours of evening, only breaking occasionally to eat or clear their thoughts. The possibilities in their minds were endless, but only because they knew not where to begin; the possibilities set before them once they achieved this goal would soon be few.

…...

Usagi wasn't outside for very long before she was stopped by a routine patrol. She at least had the common sense to not be captured carrying any sort of weapon, and once she identified herself, she was escorted to Shibuya's Police Department, setting foot inside for the first time in weeks (since before the city-wide evacuation, as a matter of fact). Thankfully, the exodus was counted as an excused absence, as was her hospital leave, but even so, her abrupt appearance was quite astonishing. Even Soji Asagiri, a man rarely swayed by excess emotion, couldn't easily erase his stunned expression upon her return. Chief Harisvatta grinned; Toha laughed and clapped her on the back; Hayashida hugged her tightly.

"I'm SO GLAD you're okay!"

"And I'm glad everyone here's safe and sound as well. I heard what happened."

"So you're all caught up?" Toha said. She nodded.

"More or less. If anything's happened here that I need to know about, though..."

"Not much to say," Toha said, rolling his eyes and fixing them onto a distant spot. "Instead of being lackeys for the Commissioner and the P.M., we're lackeys for a buncha gods and guys in ugly silver armor."

"Don't forget the scorpion-men," Asagiri pointed. Toha made a face.

"Ugh. Yeah, them too. They freak me right the hell out. Anyway, we mostly act as their enforcers, even though they've got manpower to spare."

"Do you ever deal with people who break their rules?"

"Sometimes. Can't say more than that." His eyes drifted over to that same spot again. Usagi subtly took out a compact, pretending to fix her hair. As she adjusted the mirror, she noticed a small face on the wall, motionless save for its eyes. The sight was unnerving, all right, and a clear indication that they were being spied on.

"I understand. So when you do deal with, um, rule-breakers..."

"Then we deal with them, simple as that."

"I think I need to get up to speed on that," she said, louder and more emphatically than normal. Toha caught onto the meaning behind her words and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you do. Tell you what: Asagiri's been handling a lot of that lately. He'll break you in quick and easy."

"Note that he makes no mention of it being painless," he said. Usagi grinned with mock fright and followed him to a smaller room. Asagiri pulled out a seat for her and immediately began writing.

"Eyes and ears everywhere, be careful. Writing is safe, they can't read kanji yet."

"Care to take some notes?" he said, offering a paper and pencil. Usagi's kanji was still poor, even after all these years, but that only meant that her overlords would have an even more difficult time deciphering it. Asagiri, for his credit, seemed up to the task, and even helped her out by loudly proclaiming her "excellent penmanship".

"The finest yet."

"Actually, you suck, but keep it up."

"Thanks," she muttered. "Well, Sensei, you may as well begin." Asagiri explained the protocol and regulations concerning officers handling "lawbreakers", but it mostly boiled down to obeying the soldiers. As he spoke, he wrote down everything he dared not say out loud, including the object of Usagi's desires: where the prisoners were being kept. On top of that, he even wrote down several paths one could take to arrive there

"I've been there five times. Appropriately enough, it's a prison, or it was. Our overlords refurbished it to their liking shortly after taking over, so you wouldn't even recognize it at first. It's a scary place."

"Fyrmar prishnon?" Usagi replied, pretending to take notes on the procedure. "No off 3 posblee plas. Can be spelific?"

"Gorgeous," he said out loud, "simply gorgeous. Better than an Empress."

"Dear God, my eyes!"

"Shufup, I nar wers gooda thimf. Goon."

"At least put spaces between your characters. Okay, well, it's got three stories and a basement, and part of it faces the sea. There's a sheer drop on that side, and the only way in or out is through a narrow road."

"Why fo conferzing? You gnough I hate rilldes (reembr Sudoku?)"

"Can't be too specific or else they might catch on. Better shred these papers later just in case. Maybe not yours, though."

Usagi then wrote something incredibly unladylike. Asagiri couldn't help but snicker.

"Compliments to your writing teachers. I'll bet they were the best in the world."

"IRONY FTW! SUCK IT, BUNNY-GIRL!"

"Come on, my English sucks," she groaned, pointing to the letters F-T-W. "If you're going to...um...compliment me, at least make it so I can read it."

"What, you never took foreign languages?"

"I didn't like studying," she grumbled. He smugly wrote down one last shot before finishing his presentation:

"NO! I never would have guessed THAT!"

He smiled while Usagi scowled. One day, she swore she'd get back at him for this.

But onto more important issues. Usagi at least had enough knowledge about her city, and her profession, to know which prison Asagiri was referring to. Now came the hard part: reporting this find to the resistance. For all of her supposedly clever ideas (or dumb luck), Usagi had failed to cover the most crucial part of her mission. Asagiri had a simple solution to her dilemma: why not follow the police inside the prison and stage a rescue then? After all, wouldn't they be more qualified to handle this sort of thing than an everyday citizen? Besides, getting in would be considerably easier, and the police had access to all the doors and cells. For once, they would be more effective than the Senshi.

"I suppose you have a point," she murmured, "and it does make sense. But I wish there was a way for me to tell everyone else about it."

"They'll just have to be surprised. We can't risk any officer wandering around like that, especially if they're hovering around...you know. But we can't just jump in there like Robin Hood and free everyone. We might get away with 'transferring' a handful of prisoners..."

"Who's Robin Hood?" Asagiri looked at her in disbelief.

"Don't you ever watch foreign movies or TV?"

"Not really. I saw Titanic." Asagiri rolled his eyes.

"Never mind. We can't be heroes about this is what I'm saying."

"And speaking of irony..."

"I'm serious here, Tsukino. If we stage a full-on prison riot or..." He cut himself off, having forgotten they were being monitored. "You understand what I mean, though, right? If you're serious about...all this...then we can only spring a few people. Five, tops."

"That should just about work. So when do we move out?" He smiled flatly at her.

"Whenever the overlords demand it. Like Toha said, they've got numbers to spare out there, so we're normally not called unless they need us. But once we are, Shibuya's finest will head out in full force."

"Thanks. I guess that's the best I'll get, huh?" With nothing else to do, Usagi decided to invest her time improving her marksmanship. Firearms were all but prohibited in Tokyo, even for the police, so she had to go through several layers of red tape just to train with one. It helped calm her nerves, though, and it focused her thoughts. Usagi never imagined that her haphazard foray into civil service would ever lead her to this, but she was infinitely grateful for it, and never more proud of her profession.

The call came out two days later, when she had moved to studying in the police library. She had just finished an English primer and actually cracked open a borrowed book on Robin Hood when Chief Hari came by, letting her know her services were required.

"Unrest in the city? I never thought I'd be so happy to hear it."

"I'll bet. Best of luck, Tsukino. Toha, Hayashida, and Asanuma have volunteered to assist you."

"Not Asagiri?" Hari just shrugged, leaving Usagi a little disappointed. She got over it, though, assuming he'd support her in some other way, and prepared for the task at hand.

If Minako and Makoto really had been captured by the enemy, then she would save them, and woe to those who stood in her way.

Author's notes:

Lil' Dune nod in the title there.

Usagi's bad penmanship is canon, so much so that even as Neo Queen Serenity in 30th Century Tokyo, she has problems. I figured the best way to get that across would be to simply garble her words so that readers would have similar issues. What she meant to wrote was:

Former prison? I know of three possible places. Can you be specific?

Shut up, I never was good at this. Go on.

Why so confusing? You know I hate riddles (remember Sudoku?)

I'd like to hurry the plot along a little, which is why parts of this chapter may have seemed rushed. Trust me when I say that when I finally get to the good parts (hot sensh-on-senshi action, action in general), you'll thank me.