Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ It can't be! ❯ Rescue ( Chapter 2 )

"Hey, You're one of them!"

It made Usagi glad that she had made the right call and spoken English, or more appropriately American judging by this girl's accent. Usagi allowed her self a mental pat on the back before focusing her attentions back on the girl that could see her. Sadly, the red head's companion wasn't quite so receptive to Usagi's appearance.

"Jean, what are you doing, who are you talking to?"

"Scott, can't you see her. It's one of them. The girls Kitty and Kurt were supposed to be checking out. Can't you see her?"

"Um... No. Jean, are you sure you're feeling alright." Scott rested his palm on his girlfriend's forehead; she batted his arm away irritably. Before a squabble could break out the resident authority figure cut in.

"That's quite enough Scott. Jean is quite correct, we do indeed have a new passenger." Professor Xavier spun his electric wheelchair around to face Usagi. She also turned towards the sound of this new voice. That was when she noticed she was standing towards the back of the craft. As she turned she took in the other passengers. One, a wheelchair clad man was looking right at her. He could see her too! A large, blue, furry man was piloting the plane… Wait, blue? Furry? Usagi's alarm bells were ringing, the only thing she'd ever seen resembling that creature was a youma or worse. She narrowed her eyes in distrust at it but as it was looking quizzically at the man who'd just spoken she decided it wasn't a threat at the moment. In adjacent seats behind the youma like creature sat three other people; a young girl with reddish brown hair and a prominent white stripe running through her bangs, a young boy with blonde hair and a rather fierce looking man. None of them were looking at her.

Usagi decided to go with the safe approach and stick with talking to the redhead who she'd been sent to.

"Look, I know this must be confusing and you have absolutely no way to know if I can be trusted but my friend needs your help. I don't know how I got here and I don't much care-" Usagi's speech was cut short by the annoying man in the wheelchair.

"We know who you are Usagi. We are right now flying towards Tokyo to assure your protection from `project X'." Usagi looked at him in utter confusion. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry, please, allow me to explain myself. I am Professor Charles Xavier. I run an institute for gifted students. Mutants like your self."

There was that word again. Usagi's eyes grew hard. If he was in league with the *man* that was hurting Ami-chan...

"These are just some of my X-men. We saw your predicament on the international news and through some associates of Wolverine," He nodded his head towards the fierce looking man. "We discovered that a few government officials that we have had unpleasant dealings with in the past were taking an interest in you. I sent some of my X-men to watch over you and your friends and make contact when the time was right. However one of your friends was captured so we are - were on our way to the hospital you are in." Usagi snorted. "We did not foresee your appearance here, I was unaware that astral projection was one of your powers. Cerebro, a powerful computer I use to detect new mutants was unable to detect your particular gifts."

Usagi frowned at the long-winded explanation; she wasn't that great at English and there were a few words in there that she didn't exactly understand. The gist of it was seemed to be that these strange people knew who had Ami, they could help her and right now, that was all she cared about.

******

Minako was worried. Yes, that horrible sick feeling in her stomach was definitely worry. Ami had left the hospital around fourteen hours ago and hadn't even called to check on Usagi. A short while after that Minako had started to think that maybe they had been a too quick to turn on Ami. To accuse her for all that had happened. Really, if you thought about it, they were more to blame. Makoto had taken it really hard, she was the senshi of protection after all.

Still, Usagi was doing a lot better now. The ginzuishou was working it's magic and healing her. Of course the doctors didn't know this. They couldn't understand why she was healing so fast they were pleased though. Ami would be pleased, if she'd only answer her damned phone. Every time one of them rang to apologise she'd hang up. It was getting very irritating, but it was making Minako a bit apprehensive. It wasn't like Ami not to answer her cell. It wasn't even like her to hold a grudge. It was very unsettling. Yep, Minako's `senshi sense' was definitely acting up.

*****

Unbeknownst to Dr. Hank McCoy he was currently the object of deep scrutiny by an invisible Princess. Usagi had kept the so-called professor under careful observation during the flight thus far. Her conclusion was that he was a strange sort of youma. One who could fly a plane and who kept trying to talk to her in Japanese. Of course he looked somewhere over Usagi's left shoulder when he spoke. The first attempt had gone somewhere along the lines of: "Ohayo Tsukino-san, Watashi wa McCoy Hank." Usagi had replied with a glare.

The friendly redhead, Jean, had talked with Usagi for a while. Jean had told her about mutants. She had used some technical English words that Usagi had no hope of understanding. When she'd taken it upon herself to learn English it had been so she wouldn't embarrass Mamoru when she met his American friends, not so she could understand about X-genes or telo-something-or-others. Jean had explained that Professor McCoy (as she called the youma-man) was just a person who had `mutated' and now looked like, well, a large blue monster. Usagi wasn't too sure about this and was currently conducting her own study of him; She concluded by classing him as a huge scary teddy bear.

Tearing her eyes away from Hank McCoy she directed her gaze out of the window. The jet was going very fast so it was hard to focus on anything, but she had a feeling that they would be near Ami soon.

******

A white blur had entered the small room Ami was being held in. The blur said something inaudible to the dark blue blur in the room. Ami blinked a few times to try to clear her shaky vision. It didn't work. All too soon the white blur left through the heavy grey door with the tiny window in it. This whole scenario was too absurd. Where were the laws that were supposed to govern society? Why was this colonel Trask allowed to walk free among sane citizens? As the door closed with a distinct clang Trask turned his attention back to Ami. His voice held contempt and a hint of fear.

"Well Miss Mizuno, it appears you've been keeping something from us. My colleague just informed me that your blood test has come back `abnormal'." Ami's head shot up. It was impossible! She had habitual blood tests at the hospital and nothing had ever been irregular. This man was certifiably insane!

"Through careful screening measures we are able to detect if a seemingly ordinary member of the public is inflicted with the `X-gene'. I am informed you have an unrecognisable element to your DNA that is unlike anything we have encountered before. You Miss Mizuno, and most definitely your friend Usagi Tsukino are seemingly an undiscovered form of mutation, that without my intervention would have been allowed to roam the World freely."

He sounded alarmed. As though she was the worst menace since Hitler.

"My colleagues are currently preparing a laboratory for an investigation into your particular- "He thought for a moment, searching for just the right word. "-Curse."

Ami paled despite her brave front. She could transform and maybe escape. She could use her powers to freeze Trask's genitals off. She could do so many things, but all she would do was be strong for Usagi. For Usagi she would take whatever they hit her with, she would protect her Princess, her friend.

******

"Come on, come on land already!"

"Usagi, you must be patient. Stealth is key to this operation."

Usagi hopped from one foot to another in agitation. That was the third time Professor Xavier had scolded her. She felt like she was back in high school, which was a strange feeling considering she'd graduated four years ago. Was it her fault she was impatient to rescue her friend from evil Americans? Well it was partly her fault that Ami needed rescuing, if she hadn't been so careless with the ginzuishou... But there was no point blaming her self, that wouldn't help Ami.

At last McCoy-san had landed the X-jet and Usagi rushed to the exit and waited anxiously for the young man named Scott to open the electronic door. Scott exited first, followed by Jean who said to her "You know you could probably walk right through walls and things." Usagi nodded in consent but decided not to try it. Just in case it didn't work. The rest of the X-men followed Usagi down the steps to the concrete covered ground. The young boy with blonde hair, Bobby, was eager for battle. He had a glow on his face that Usagi often saw on Mako-chan's, a lust for victory. The two other occupants Rogue and Logan, who hadn't even attempted to speak to Usagi, were the last to descend the steps. The Professor exited using a ramp at the front of the jet, whilst McCoy-san stayed in the plane so they could make a quick escape. Of course they all called each other by code names but Usagi thought that was a bit strange, seeing as how they didn't even transform or anything.

During the flight Xavier had talked about meeting a cat and a `night crawler' at the military base they had tracked Ami to. Usagi had no idea how they'd known where Ami was, but she figured it had something to do with those two. They had landed about a quarter of a mile from a disused military base on the outskirts of Tokyo. They all began moving towards the near derelict concrete building. Menacing looking barbed wire and various shrubbery surrounded it. Logan was periodically sniffing the air and as they got closer to the building he muttered "Trask". Usagi turned to question Jean about this peculiarity but she never got a chance. Directly in the space Usagi was standing in a small blue fuzzy boy and a young girl appeared from no-where. One minute Usagi was standing in an empty space, the next she was screaming and leaping out of the person who had just appeared. Usagi shook her hands in panicked disgust. She had just been inside a person!

Jean laughed at Usagi's reaction. "This is Kurt, and Kitty, AKA Night crawler and Shadow cat. They've been watching over you. They followed your friend here when she was abducted."

"Jean, like, who're you talking to?" Kitty was looking around her for the unseen person.

"I'll explain later Kitty. Right now we need to get inside that building." Kurt nodded and replied "Ve tried to `port in but ve set off zhe security system zhere's no vay ve're going to get in undetected..."

The professor turned his attention to Usagi. "Maybe, but maybe not. Usagi, what powers does your friend have?" Usagi shook her head in answer "Powers? She doesn't have any mutant powers. We're different to you people. It doesn't work like that. She can help though. If I just had some way to talk to her I could let her know that I'm ok and then she'll transform. She'll use her `powers'."

The Professor thought on this for a while before speaking.

"There maybe a way to do just that Usagi. If you're willing." Usagi nodded immediately "Of course. I'll do anything, anything at all."

******

The group of scientists currently buzzing around Ami had hooked her up to several machines. Some she recognised, some she didn't. Various electrodes were attached to her skin, measuring her heart rate, blood cell count and brain activity, among other things. Soldiers had come and taken her at gunpoint from the interrogation room and brought her here. Where here was she did not know, only that they had reached it by walking down a long corridor with many doors. The room she was in was immaculately clean and white. Scientific and medical equipment were spread about the place, on medical trolleys or standing by walls. To her right were several small enclosures with heavy Perspex doors. She was strapped onto an operating table.

The blue tank top and denim shorts she had been wearing had been removed and replaced with a sheet that left her shoulders and arms bare. Ami looked about her in trepidation. She was beginning to struggle with her resolve. Already they had tried passing electrical currents through her body. Her hair frizzed slightly and her hands hurt where they had connected the wires.

Now someone approached her with a scalpel. It was a man in sterile gloves and mask. Talking to her to try and calm her, as though being experimented on was an everyday occurrence.

"We have encountered in the past mutants with accelerated healing. We also developed ways to detect this. However your genetic make-up is like nothing we have encountered before. Most fascinating really."

Ami closed her eyes as she felt the man make a small incision in her left forearm. It didn't hurt that bad, she had felt worse. It was the humiliation of feeling weak and defenceless that hurt more than the physical pain. The man stepped away and assessed the incision he had made. It did not heal, nor did it show any signs of healing soon.

The man was talking to her again but Ami did not listen. There was no need. Strangely his voice started to sound a bit feminine. He was calling her by name, he sounded urgent.

"Ami, Ami. It's Usagi. Ami can you hear me?" It sounded just like Usagi.

"Ami-chan I've brought some people with me, they can help you but I need you to transform when we give the signal." The voice sounded unsure for a moment and then stopped. Soon it came back. Ami listened intently. "Ok. The signal is when you hear alarms go off you must transform. Some people will come and get you out. You have to trust them. It really is me Ami-chan. I know you probably don't believe it but these people. They're helping me. Ok, the professors making some strange faces so I have to go. You can do this Ami. I have faith in you. Show him what the Senshi are made of, `kay?"

Then the voice was gone and the man's voice returned. "...Most interesting."

******

They hit hard and fast. Attacking three different points at once. Usagi didn't know exactly how all of the others got in but her group. Or more specifically Jean's group held on to Kitty and walked through a wall. Appearing in a corridor. A security camera zoomed in on them and a booming voice sounded. "Mutant sighting in section 3 all units… wait there are two more sightings sections 7 and 4. Intercept with extreme force."

Jean motioned to Bobby, the other member of her group and he shot a stream of ice to the camera. Jean closed her eyes and concentrated. Snapping them back open she told the others "She's this way, let's go!"

They didn't get far before several soldiers stopped them. Bobby sent a wave of Ice along the ground, knocking two of them to the floor. One shot at him but Jean put up a telekinetic shield and the bullet fell harmlessly to the floor. She put her hand out and the soldiers flew backwards, slamming against a wall where they were promptly boxed in by a wall of ice. Soon enough the sound of alarms filled the air. Usagi silently prayed that Ami would do as she had asked as more soldiers headed their way.

******

Ami dimly acknowledged that many of the people in the laboratory had scurried out as the alarms started to ring. Her ears throbbed with the noise. There was something she was supposed to do now, what was it? Trask was in the room sneering over her. He made her so mad! How dare he do this to her! Usagi would tell her to defend herself if she was here. Wait, she had been here! Ami smiled as she remembered her leader's voice in her mind. It was too coincidental that the alarms were now going off (just like Usagi had said they would) she couldn't have been hallucinating. Ami closed her eyes and concentrated on calling her transformation. To finalise the power surge she yelled out her transformation phrase.

"Mercury crystal power make-up!" liquid ribbons swirled around her naked form. The electrodes were forced off as her fuku appeared. Trask was staring in open-mouthed shock. Ami smiled at him.

"Want to know a great thing about being a sailor senshi?" She asked innocently as she broke the straps holding her to the operating table. "Super strength. Colonel Trask, meet Sailor Mercury. I guess you could say this is my power. Want to see what I can do with it?" Trask backed steadily away from her; he was too shocked to think about drawing his gun. Ami turned her attention to a machine that was whirring angrily, having been disconnected from its subject.

"Aqua rhapsody!"

A torrent of ice-cold water flew from Ami's out stretched arms. Shorting all the machines in the vicinity. "Sorry, but I can't have you exposing us now, can I? And with no proof there is no story." Trask with drew his gun. Ami tutted and hit him with a shabon spray freezing attack.

Ami turned her back on Trask and headed towards the door. Just as she reached it a group of teenagers and one older man charged through. Usagi was not with them.

"Hi, Ami Mizuno? We're friends of Usagi. We need to get out of here before back up is called. Usagi's saying you can make it a bit easier for us." A tall redhead had spoken.

Ami raised her eyebrows slightly at them but nodded in consent. She began to spin on the spot, holding her arms crossed in front of her. As she uncrossed her arms she yelled "Shabon spray!"

The room filled with tiny opaque bubbles that quickly settled into a dense mist. Someone grabbed her arm and started to lead her down a corridor. She kept her attack going as they walked, obscuring their presence. Ahead she could see a man leading. He appeared to be sniffing the air. The others followed him unquestioningly until they arrived at what she assumed was an exit. It was not. They were facing a wall. Suddenly another person took hold of her other gloved arm and with a distinct popping sound she found her self on the other side of a chain link fence that surrounded the building she'd just been in.

Ami opened her mouth to question but the person who'd taken hold of her arm had disappeared and the one who had been leading her, a slightly built young girl with her hair in a high ponytail was smiling at her. Ami looked around her in some concern, fighting the urge to bring her visor down and analyse her rescuers. A bald man in a wheelchair approached her with a smile.

"Ami Mizuno I assume? Your friend Usagi is very pleased to see you well. I wish you could see her, she is most exuberant."

"Why can't I see her? Where is she?"

"Unfortunately it appears Usagi presence can only be detected by myself and my student Jean." He motioned towards the redhead standing close by. "We are able to communicate with her due to our telepathic powers. I used a psychic link to allow Usagi to communicate with you. But come we must leave, more soldiers are on their way. I'm worried they may have a sentinel with them."

He headed to a small stealth jet, some way off and partially concealed by shrubbery. An electronic door slid open and the seven of the eight people that made up her rescue party entered. The other, the older man who had lead the way out of the base stalked off along another route. Ami looked in the direction he was heading and saw a helicopter of similar design to the jet she was now entering.

"We must be swift if we hope to beat Trask's men to the hospital." The bald man announced. Ami's younger rescuers all nodded and moved to seats as the jet took off. Ami looked at them in confusion and turned to the bald man. She never got the chance to ask her question.

"Ami I understand your confusion and I promise all will be explained in due course. However right now Usagi is in grave danger." Whilst you and my X-men" He indicated her rescuers "were in the base I was able to read Trask's mind. It appears they have already sent out an assassin to deal with their `problem'."

___________________________________________________

There you go. Constructive criticism is extremely welcome. I will take anything people say into consideration and edit. Many thanks to all of the reviewers so far. This chapter got a bit long so I hope you like it. I'm still looking for an editor btw. Damia and Callisto Star, I think your questions were answered if you have any more let me know. Special thanks to Sailor Ronin Usa-chan for giving a detailed critique *glomps* and to Senshi's Tenshi for pointing out an error. I'm trying to think of a word to replace treacle and to sort out the dialogue in the prologue, does anyone have any ideas? That's all.

I made a couple of changes that Hildegarde pointed out and added in Kurt's accent (I read some evo fiction and realised that's what they do when he speaks)