Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Real Heroes ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter 12

Kyoto base was a flurry of activity. Between the transports jets being loaded for takeoff, to the extra rounds of security put up by the JSDF, it was all too obvious something was happening. From the window of his temporary office, General Hawk could see it all.

"Sir, are you worried?"

"No, Flint. Just a bit annoyed. This isn't the first time Cobra has managed to hide their evidence from us."

"Yeah, but each time, we managed to find out their true intentions later. I don't think it's anything to really worry about."

"I suppose so. But I'm your commanding officer. Getting worried is my job."

Flint laughed at the joke and prepared to leave, when he heard the alarm. A voice began in Japanese, but then switched to English.

"Intruders in the front courtyard. This is not a drill. Intruders in the front courtyard."

"What in the hell?" asked Hawk.

"I'll go check it out," responded Flint as he left the office and went outside.

"Well Sailor Moon, I came with you because I saw that a peace plan could work if you proposed it with my help. The only problem with that, however, is that I was under one assumption."

"Which was, Sailor Pluto?"

"That you had a plan."

From where Sailor Pluto was standing, it didn't look like she had a plan. They were surrounded by soldiers all pointing their guns at the two senshi, each one looking more than ready to pull the triggers at any given time. From the crowd, two men emerged, holding pistols. They looked like high-ranking officers. Behind them, another in complete black gear emerged as well.

"YOU!" shouted the first man. "You've got guts coming back here, missy! Especially after what you did!"

"Duke, calm down. We don't know what they want."

"Fine, Flint." Composing himself, Duke stood in front of Sailor Moon, pointing a pistol at her. "You put three good men from Joe out of action. And nearly killed Sergeant Slaughter! Why are you here?"

Usagi looked down the gun barrel, then at the man pointing the gun. She composed herself, and then spoke. "Peace."

"Peace?!" asked Duke half-mockingly. "PEACE?! You are wanted criminals!"

"But Mr. Duke, you have to believe me! We're not part of Cobra!"

Duke simply stood unwavering. "Why should I believe anything you say? You broke into a military base."

"To save my friend."

"You wounded three of my men! Nearly killed Sergeant Slaughter!"

"Sergeant Slaughter attacked me! He tried to kill me first!"

Duke still moved unwavering. He had no way of believing what she was saying was the truth or not. Did Cobras ever tell the truth?

"You're lying! Take her away!"

Duke pointed his gun at Usagi, close enough that she could see down the barrel. It wasn't a pretty sight. She could practically smell the spark of gunpowder.

But before Duke could do anything, a red rose appeared and struck the pistol from his hand. The soldiers around him looked around only to see a figure in black running. Duke would have given the order to fire, had Snake-Eyes not put his hand in front of Duke, restraining him.

Usagi smiled. She knew her boyfriend wouldn't let her do something like this alone. Even more surprising was seeing something attached to the rose.

A disc.

Duke looked at Sailor Moon, infuriated. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Evidence. It's all on the disc next to the rose."

Flint stared dumbfounded while Duke examined the disc. "How can I trust you?"

His question was answered by a nod from Snake-Eyes. He seemed willing to trust them. Why exactly, he didn't know.

"Very well, I'll look at your evidence. But judging by the way General Morrin's been acting, I'm not sure if he'll be willing to look at it."

About twenty minutes later, Duke was inside, playing the DVD on a console in front of the entire G.I. Joe team and the Japanese soldiers who were with them. It showed various footage from different scenes, with the senshi firing on Cobra troops during the Cobra invasion of Tokyo, the battle outside Kyoto base, and Sergeant Slaughter attacking Sailor Moon first.

After the footage was complete, Sailor Moon stared at Duke. "Do you believe us now?"

Duke was about to answer, when he heard shouting from behind him. Turning to see where the commotion was coming from, he saw General Morrin enter with a crew of Japanese MP's.

"I'll ask you all not to allow prisoners out of their prisons, General Hawk! What are they doing here?"

Hawk, who had remained silent observing the video, addressed his Japanese counterpart. "The senshi have evidence that…"

"The senshi?! You accepted evidence from THE SENSHI?!"

"They came unarmed, with the intention of…"

"They are criminals!"

As General Hawk and General Morrin continued to argue, no one seemed to notice Sailor Pluto stepping forward, approaching Morrin. Three guards pointed their guns at her, but she managed to keep moving forward, without them firing a shot. It was as if she had them hypnotized.

"General Yoshiro Morrin, I know that you are seeking to undermine us for your own personal gain. That is why you were so quick to brand Sailor Moon a criminal. That is why you were so quick to order our arrest. And I know why."

Morrin stared at Sailor Pluto in horror as everyone else looked on. His expression did nothing to curb her speech.

"You hated us for saving people where the military could not. You looked at the senshi as vigilantes, the bane of your career. While we didn't mean to serve as these things, you still blamed us for these things, and the affect it was going to have on your political career."

Sailor Moon could only stare in awe. How did she know all of this?

"Because of this, you plotted to have the Sailor Senshi eliminated in any way possible. When G.I. Joe showed up to fight Cobra in Japan, you knew you had found an excuse."

General Hawk could only stare at Morrin. "Is this true?"

Morrin stood defiant. "She is lying! Take her away!"

A few more MP's approached Pluto, but she stepped forward regardless, staring deep into Morrin's eyes. "Why are you in such a hurry to silence us? Do you fear the Senshi, General?"

Finally, Morrin broke down, sobbing. "Yes! It's all true! Those stupid bitches made Japan look weak! They made ME look weak! I couldn't take it. I had to hide the evidence from the public and dispose of them!"

Before anyone could make a move, Morrin ran out of the hall, screaming. The remaining soldiers could only look at Sailor Pluto in awe.

Duke shrugged. "I guess…I guess I owe you an apology…"

About three hours later, the rest of the Japanese officers on board were notified of Morrin's confession. Searching through his files only validated everything that Sailor Pluto was telling the truth.

On that note, the senshi were cleared of the charges leveled against them, with Duke and a Japanese colonel grudgingly admitting they had been too hasty.

"Don't worry about it!" replied Sailor Moon. "You were just doing your job."

"Yeah, but the way I acted was completely…"

"There are many forces in the universe that would seek to influence your actions," began Pluto. "I cannot say what or which has done so, but I do know that you will now be able to resist it."

Duke didn't respond, but went back inside his office. Realizing her work was now complete; Sailor Pluto grabbed Sailor Moon and headed out the door.

"Setsuna, how did you know what was going on?"

"I had studied Morrin and knew of his intentions. Unfortunately, I couldn't approach them and just say what I knew. No one would believe me."

"But they would believe the evidence if we got them to see it."

"Exactly. I still fear, however, what will happen with Morrin. A part of me feels he is far from finished with us."

********************************************************* *****************************************************************

"I wonder why I put my neck out for you like that sometimes. I really do."

"Because you love me?"

"Well of course I love you. I mean besides that."

"Because you have a duty to protect the future?"

"That too."

"Still, there's one question that bothered me."

"What's that, Usagi?"

"Mamo-chan, how did you get that video?"

"Asking witnesses for 6 hours, filming the other night because of worry over what might have happened to you, and spending a day editing a video together at Ms. Setsuna's request."

"What do I do now?"

"Rest. Cobra still has the other girls, and odds are you'll have to fight them sooner or later."

"Okay. I'll see you later."

"Okay."

Hanging up the phone, Usagi thought about her boyfriend's words. One major hurdle had been cleared, but now she had to hope Haruka and Michiru could save her friends from the clutches of Cobra Commander.

It was clear to her that the conflict was far from over. What turn it took from here, she couldn't know.