Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Unity ❯ Unity 1 ( Chapter 1 )

The following is a crossover fanfic starring Marvel's X-Men and the outer senshi from Sailor Moon. The story combines elements taken from the manga, animation, comics, and the movie.

This fanfic takes place between "Sailor Moon Super S" and "Sailor Moon Stars", given the fact that in the manga, several months pass between the two.

Characters' ages go as follows: Professor Charles Xavier and Eric Magnus (Magneto) are 60; Dr. Henry McCoy (Beast) is 35; Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey and Mystique are 20; Michiru Kaioh, Haruka Tenoh and Ororo Munroe (Storm) are 18; Remy LeBeau (Gambit), Rogue and other mutant students are around the ages of 13 and 15; Chibi-Usagi Tsukino and Hotaru Tomoe are 12; Setsuna Meioh and Logan (Wolverine) are…umm…your guess is as good as mine.

"Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" was created by Naoko Takeuchi.

"Uncanny X-Men" was created by Stan Lee and the late Jack Kirby.

*****

Unity

Chapter one:

Charles Xavier's school for gifted youngsters:

The professor and Ororo were enjoying a stroll under a warm summer sky. Seeing the children play brought fond memories to the elderly man, and random use of their mutant abilities made him think of a hopefully bright future for all of them. Suddenly his wheelchair stopped, drawing the white-haired girl's attention.

"Are you all right professor?" she asked with concern.

"Yes Ororo, I'm fine. I just, I had a strange feeling just know, as if something very important were about to take place."

"Should I call the others?"

"For something that isn't even a hunch?" Xavier asked with a chortle, "No, there is a difference between readiness and paranoia. It was probably nothing." The girl smiled and they continued their walk.

I know you have too many thing to worry about professor, so I'll keep quiet, the ebony-skinned girl thought, I also feel it in the air something will happen. And if it means us harm, I will stop it.

*****

A small town in Germany:

A teenage couple walked under the moonlight, they had a very fun evening and now he was taking her home. He wanted to end the date with something very special, but she was reluctant.

"I said no, so please stop insisting."

"Come on, give one good reason not to give you a kiss good night."

"Because I'm afraid," the girl answered, "someone might see us and start a rumor. You know how it is, small facts grow ridiculously out of proportion. Before you know it, we'll be engaged and I'll be pregnant."

"Please. Who gives a damn what others say or believe? We will know the truth." His shoulders slumped. "On the other hand, such a rumor might do this town a lot of good."

"Wer was das?"

"You know what I mean," the boy said as he strode to the middle of the cobblestone street, "Nothing ever happens here, everyday is exactly the same. The most excitement I've ever had in my whole life, was accidentally breaking a window with a soccer ball," he took a deep breath, "I'm not asking for much, I just want something to happen." And something did.

Without warning, the ground below exploded, sending the boy several feet away. The girl ran hurriedly to his side.

"Are you all right!?"

"Ja, but what the hell is-" he blanched, "that?" Both teenagers saw a dark cloud arise from the broken ground. It was dense and pitch black, it hovered in one place, even though it was windy. And for a moment, they could swear a voice was coming from within. It stood still for a while and then shot up like a rocket.

"Whatever that thing was it was definitely-" she picked up another sound, "There's someone in there!" Ignoring her boyfriend's warnings, she ran into the crater, there, among the rubble, she found an elderly man half-buried. She checked to see if he was still alive and was relieved to see that he was. "Stay here and don't move, okay?"

"Uh," the white-haired man moaned, "Help…must…"

"Shh, don't talk!"

"Warn…Charles…" he managed to say before fainting.

*****

Two days later, Montreal, Canada:

Haruka left the car-rental agency fuming, Michiru followed her with an amused face.

"It's always the same," the sand-blonde growled, "Every time I come to one of these damn places, the good cars are always taken."

"Come now, the van they gave us is a perfectly good vehicle, it is in working order and it will get us to New York quickly."

Michiru was due to perform at Manhattan this weekend as part of a fund-raising concert for Amnesty international. Haruka and Setsuna had free time on their hands, so they decided to come. And since the summer break was just beginning, Chibi-Usa and Hotaru were also invited. The girls were over-ecstatic upon hearing about the trip, the young princess had never traveled so far in this era, and the pale girl's previous frailty didn't allow her to go anywhere.

Setsuna met the couple across the street.

"Did you manage to get a car?" the ruby-eyed woman asked.

"Not according to Haruka's definition," Michiru quipped, "Where are Hime-chan and Chibi-Usa-chan?"

"They're watching the scenery from over there." As they walked, Setsuna noticed that her sister was still grouchy. "Haruka-san, you better wipe that frown off your face, otherwise you'll spoil the children's mood."

"I will, I will, I just wish that storm which caused the plane to go off-course hadn't shown up. How come you didn't see it coming?"

"Che, I'd like to believe that my abilities can be used for something a little more important than weather-casting," Setsuna protested, "But there was something unnatural about that storm."

"Hai," the aqua-haired girl agreed, "but when I checked my mirror it showed me nothing. Maybe we should call Rei-chan once we arrive at New York and see what she can find out." The other two outers nodded.

Hotaru and Chibi-Usa were leaning on the guardrail and admiring the Canadian majesty.

"I never thought there could ever be anything so beautiful," the latter confessed, "The closest I've ever got to places like this was through magazines, I've never conceived being here in person."

"I know what you mean." The pink-haired girl rested her chin on her arms, "Blue sky, great mountains, lush forests…" her voice was becoming distant, "Helios…"

"Nani?"

"Jealous! Usagi-tachi will be jealous when I tell them about this trip. It is a big difference to those trips to the beach they always have." Chibi-Usa blushed horribly when Hotaru started giggling.

"It's all right Chibi-Usa-chan, it's logical that you want to be at a place like this with someone special. To be honest, I'm having the same idea."

"Oh?" the small lady narrowed her eyes, "Is there someone you haven't told be about?"

"I was thinking about Momma and Poppa," the amethyst-eyed girl cleared out, "But as long as I'm confessing, I must admit that I would like to be with-" she interrupted herself and shook her head, "Oh, why fantasize? That will never happen."

"Come on Hotaru-chan, I know you'll find somebody soon enough."

"Who? Who could possibly feel anything for a ghost like me?"

Chibi-Usa said nothing else. Her friend had come a long way since her previous life, yet, she still had a very low opinion of herself. The princess had to think of a way to make Hotaru feel more confident, and she was determined not to leave for the future before that.

"Hey you two," Haruka's voice called out suddenly, "hurry up or we'll leave without you."

"Hai," the children replied in unison.

Thanks to her attitude, Setsuna revoked Haruka's driving privileges. The younger ones were grateful for this, otherwise the view would've gone by too fast. The sand-blonde also took it well, a few minutes of travel helped ease her spirit.

"Well, we'll have one full day until the concert and a whole week until we go back to Japan, so we better start planning on what we're going to see."

"I doubt we'll have enough time, Haruka-papa," Hotaru said, "there's the Statue of Liberty obviously; but there's also all sorts of museums, historical sites and a stroll through Central Park."

"We could take a side trip to Niagara falls," Michiru suggested with a twinkle in her eye, "and of course a visit to Macys."

"Umm, hai," the racer turned to the pink-haired girl, "Any more ideas?"

"I'm thinking of places where we can eat," Chibi-Usa answered from the back, "Am I the only one who realizes we haven't had breakfast yet?"

"Don't worry, Small Lady, according to some signs back there, we should be arriving at such a place right about…now." Setsuna stopped the vehicle in front of a small restaurant, from the outside it looked rustic and homelike, the kind of place that make you feel better after a long trip. Only two other cars were parked there, a white sedan and an old jeep, Haruka whistled when she saw the latter.

"Ara, now this is what I call a veteran. It looks like it's been on every road possible." It wasn't her favorite sort of vehicle, true, but she couldn't keep her eyes off it as she went inside.

Chibi-Usa entered and checked out the place, it was small, tidy and cozy. She could see very few people: an old man behind the counter, a teenage waitress, a family of three at one table, consisting of a father, mother and a little blonde girl who wouldn't stay put; and finally, a man sitting alone drinking coffee. For some reason, this last patron drew the young girl's attention. He looked both angry and lonesome, he had long sideburns and his hair grew back and upwards, giving him quite a feral appearance.

"Small Lady, it's impolite to stare."

"Gomen Puu."

By the time Setsuna and Chibi-Usa sat down, the rest were already selecting from the menu.

"I don't see anything I can choose," Hotaru complained, "I'll be full before I even finish half my plate."

"Don't worry 'bout that, Hotaru-chan," her friend said, "I'll be eager to help. Umm, pancakes, waffles, omelets…" she felt a tug on her blouse, "Nani?" the princess looked down and saw the little blonde girl.

"How do you get your hair up like that?"

"Umm," Chibi-Usa reached up to one of her odangos, "Practice I guess."

"Okay!" the little one left, the Japanese girls were quite amused.

"Your English was well pronounced, Chibi-Usa-chan," Michiru complemented.

"Of course," the pink-haired girl boasted, "I'm not like that klutz Usagi. Besides, I'm the princess of Crystal Tokyo, I have to learn to speak several languages."

"Okay hotshot," Haruka challenged, "Here comes the waitress, you can order for everyone." Chibi-Usa accepted the dare and passed with flying colors, leaving most of them satisfied.

"You shouldn't boast like that, Chibi-Usa-chan," Hotaru said, "It doesn't matter how good you are, you'll always find someone-" now she felt a tug, "Hai?"

"How come your eyes are purple?"

"Er, I don't know, I was just born with them."

"Hmm, okay!"

"Eto, Michiru-mama, did I ever act like that when I was little?"

"Hai," the aqua-haired girl answered with a tired sigh, "You questioned us all the time about everything. For example: why my violin sounded the way it did or why Haruka always drove with such a hurry."

"Very funny," the sand-blonde retorted, "Lucky for us, you were a quick learner Hime-chan, and of course, you outgrew that phase quickly. And now it's my turn," she turned to the girl, "What can I help you with?"

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

"Urk."

"Lucy!" the mother called out, "Sit down already and leave those people alone!" The little girl pouted and left, while everyone else laughed at Haruka's red face.

"I'll bet you didn't see that one coming love," Michiru quipped.

"Okay, it's your turn, Puu. What was I like when I was little?"

"Well there's a lot to say," the emerald-haired woman sorted her many memories, "There was the time you-" Glass shattered and a cry was heard.

"LUCY!"

Quickly, the girls went to see what had happened. Thanks to her parents' negligence, the child had run into the waitress, who was carrying a coffeepot. The scalding liquid poured over the child's arm and it was becoming horribly blistered.

"Oh god!" the teenager was a nervous wreck, "Stay here while I get something cold." The little girl was crying uncontrollably while her mother tried to calm her down.

"Shh, shh, it's okay Lucy, we're going to make you feel better, you'll see-Huh?" She saw a shorthaired girl kneel hurriedly and place her hand over her daughter's wound. The small child felt the burning ebb, she looked down and saw a violet glow covering her arm. Before she knew it, she felt a lot better.

"That should do it," Hotaru said with a deep breath, "How do-" She was shoved away brutally by the father while the mother picked Lucy up trying to shield her from that pale-skinned monster. Haruka shot her daughter a glance and saw that Michiru was comforting her, so she now confronted the bully.

"What's the big idea you ungrateful baka!?"

"You keep that little freak away from my kid if you know what's good for you," the bigot hollered, "Or else!"

"Everyone quiet!" the man behind the counter, and owner, piped up, "Sir, if you're going to display such behavior, I'll be glad if you leave now."

"Me? If you had an ounce of proper decency, you should be throwing these creeps out. And for that matter, these japs shouldn't even be at this side of the sea." This last comment got Haruka ready for a fight.

"That does it!" the man from the corner spoke up, he walked up calmly and stood in front of the bigot, "You've just ruined the day for these ladies and, what's worse, for me, so I hope for your sake that you've got enough brains to get out of here, now."

"This ain't none of your business runt. Or what are you a mutie lover?"

"And what if I am?" The bigot's response was to throw a fierce punch, which the black-haired man didn't bother to evade nor block. Anyone else would've ended with up a broken nose, because no one else has adamantium bones. The bigot's eyes flooded with tears as he held his swelling hand. "Get out," the man repeated, this time his order was not questioned. The couple got out hurriedly, taking along their confused child.

"Ara," Haruka gasped as she stepped up to her helper, "I've been told to have rocks in my head, but you take the cake."

"I'm used to taking blows. You better get over to your kid now."

"Hai, arigato." The racer went to Hotaru while he came up to the owner.

"Sorry about that Jake."

"Don't worry Logan, we can't help it if bad things happen. But I am thankful that you managed to control your temper."

"What can I say? Your coffee was especially good this morning."

"Are you all right Hime-chan?" Haruka asked worriedly.

"Hai," the violet-haired girl lied, she looked miserable, "You shouldn't make a big thing out of this, I'm used to have these things happen to me."

"Hotaru-chan, that doesn't make it right!" Chibi-Usa protested, "That man had no right to treat you that way, especially after what you did for his daughter. When are you going to realize that you don't deserve this?"

"But it's my fault," Hotaru insisted, "I know the reaction my powers cause and I can't blame people for being afraid." The grown-ups shook their heads helplessly, they had invited Hotaru mostly because of her past. The concert was second in importance, this trip had been planned specially for her. Now, thanks to that imbecile, their daughter was in for a long period of depression.

"Excuse me," Logan called out as he neared the group. Haruka let him pass, though a bit warily, the X-man knelt before the pale-skinned girl. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked in perfect Japanese, Hotaru just nodded. "I overheard what you said earlier, and what matters is that you did the right thing even when you knew you'd get hurt." The amethyst-eyed girl looked up. "Let me tell you what I know, you're going to keep helping people despite their opinion, and I think that makes you a very brave person." Hotaru was surprised, she wasn't expecting such a compliment. She didn't know how to respond, all she managed to do was grant a subtle smile and that was enough for Logan. "There we go." He got up and began to leave.

"Matte," Setsuna called, she caught up with him at the door, "Domo arigato, we had no idea on how to cheer up our Hime-chan. If there's anything we can do for you, just ask."

"Just take good care of your kid. Sayonara." The mocha-skinned woman watched as Logan got into his jeep and drove away. When she got back to the table everyone was back at their seats, and Hotaru was looking a whole lot better.

"You know," Michiru commented, "when I saw that man receive the blow without flinching, I wasn't expecting him to be so sensitive."

"Hai," the violet-haired girl agreed, "I'm ashamed to say this, but when I first saw him at the corner I couldn't help shivering."

"He did have a fearsome appearance," Chibi-Usa seconded, "But somehow, something about him reminded me of you, Hotaru-chan." Everyone stared at the pink-haired girl with surprise.

"Pardon me," the waitress showed up at that moment, "Here are your orders, if you haven't lost your appetites that is," she offered apologetically.

"Arigato," Hotaru replied, "and I'm feeling a lot better now."

"I'm glad," the teenager said as she lay the plates, "Look, I'm really sorry for what happened, and upset. I can't believe how some people don't realize that a person is a person whether she's human or mutant."

"Mutant?" Haruka asked, thinking her little princess had been offended again.

"Yeah, you know, people who can throw beams, freeze stuff, fly or whatever it is she did." The waitress received confused looks. "Wait here." She left and came back with a magazine she handed to Setsuna. New customers entered at that moment. "I gotta go now, enjoy your meal. You can keep the mag."

"'Evolution gone awry'," the article read, the longhaired woman scanned the rest of the article, "Special abilities, DNA alteration, riots, segregation… This is much too one-sided and biased."

The girls began to have their breakfast, while the younger ones planned a fun time in New York, the older ones shared a worried gaze, this trip was taking some interesting turns.

*****

Queens, New York:

"Would you leave your child alone among rabid dogs? Would you leave your child alone with a loaded gun? Would you leave your child alone with a mutant?"

"NO!!" the crowd roared.

A neighborhood rally was being held at an empty lot, with Jack Stevens as the spokesman. He was the leader of a mutant-hating group, and thanks to his charisma, he was gaining more followers with each conference. The mousy-haired man waited for the cheers to quiet down.

"Now, I am not an unreasonable man, I know that the young ones have no control, it's not their fault they're freaks. But what happens when they learn? They will realize, they will know that they have enough power to wipe us out, unless we get them first!" More cheering. Stevens made another pause, but was not allowed to speak again.

"You lie and you know it!" Everyone turned to the chairs that were the farthest behind and found a very upset group. "I know you, Jack Stevens, your family came here from Germany to escape persecution. How can you persecute others?"

"Shut the hell up you mutie-lover!" someone yelled, as a matter of fact, the whole crowd was getting ugly.

"People, people, please!" Stevens pleaded for composure. "Sir," he addressed the man he considered to be a traitor, "You and I are pure blooded humans and it is not among us that we should fight. I want this meeting to be a peaceful one, but if my presence is going to cause conflict," he raised his hands, "I'll leave. Goodnight to you all." He abandoned the podium with a few protests and a lot of applause. This very mature gesture was going to earn him a lot more support, and his opponents knew it.

"Are you sure of what you did sir?" his indigo-haired assistant asked, "Many of our followers won't be happy."

"Mike, can you think of a better way to shut someone up than eliminating the discussion? Had I attacked that man verbally, push would've gone to shove and the results would've been disastrous. My political career would've been set back ages."

"Very shrewd sir," Mike admitted, "But you do know that this won't stop violence, some will form a posse and cause a riot somewhere."

"It's true, but they will do so on their own, in no way linked to me. And it doesn't really matter if they think I'm spineless, because all in all, they serve our cause," Stevens' eyes narrowed, "destroy all mutants."

"Well said sir."

*****

Xavier's school:

Michael's prediction was unfortunately accurate. That night the mob went out and vented their rage on the most undeserving targets, specifically, a convenience store and a clinic whose only crime was to put out signs which read 'Mutants welcome'. Scott and Jean were watching this report on the evening news.

"When I was little, I witnessed similar attacks upon other people because of their skin color," the redhead said miserably, "I always knew it was wrong, but I never truly understood what it was like to be on the receiving end, until now."

"I'm not sure I do," her fiancé replied, "I mean, those people are out there, they're vulnerable. We are sheltered inside the school and we've been trained on how to defend ourselves properly." The brown-haired man took a pensive pose, "No Jean, it wouldn't be fair to consider myself within the receiving side." He was granted a kiss and embrace. "What was that for?"

"For being you. Changing the subject, did you buy the tickets for the concert tomorrow night?"

"I managed to get us a theater box. And if I know you right, no one will be paying any attention to the orchestra."

"Flatterer." The couple continued watching the news. "(sigh) At the very least, we'll have a chance to see that the world can give us beautiful things as well."

*****

Underground:

It wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say that there is another city underneath Manhattan. The sewers go on forever and there are miles of subway rails that have been abandoned for years, some tracks haven't been used at all. Most people ignore this fact, which makes the underground a perfect hiding place, and two mutants in particular were making good use of it.

"Fifteen bucks in loose change, I don't believe this," a man with stony scars complained.

"Relax Rob, it was just a slow day," his gray-skinned companion replied, "We'll probably get a few more nickels tomorrow."

"A few nickels, a few nickels, they should be begging from US!" Rob exploded, "You and me Cloud, we've been living among the stink since we were children, because people get scared for how we look." His fist turned into magma and he punched away a pipe. "We should give them a real reason to fear us!"

"Don't you mean fear you? All I can do is turn into mist."

"A toxic mist, deadly when exposed to it for long."

"Yeah, that's true. But still, we're only two guys, we can't stand against the whole city."

"We're over a hundred back at the colony, even more if we join with the others. All we need is a little organizing and…BOOM! The humans will have to live as vermin."

"Right! Let them be the ones who beg for scraps," Cloud replied, "In fact, I'm already getting ideas. We strike a bit here, another bit there, just to make them nervous. And the best part is, everyone thinks we're urban myth, the cops will go after mutants living on the surface."

"I knew you'd see it my way old buddy. Come on, let's go tell the rest." The mutant pair ran deeper into the tunnels as they planned their next step. They weren't aware of this, but there was someone, or something, else with them that whole time. And now, it was laughing.

*****

Manhattan, the next day:

Michiru wanted a few hours to relax before the concert tonight. So what better way than to walk through the city that never sleeps? Being the most free-spirited of the outer senshi, the violinist allowed the glamour of the apparels to erase her worry. Haruka accompanied her of course, but due to the fact that she was a stranger in a strange land, the racer was too busy recognizing the terrain to enjoy herself, her priority was to gain the most advantage in a possible confrontation. What's the cause for Michiru's worry and Haruka's readiness? Keep on reading.

"Judging from what that magazine said," the sand-blonde commented, "these mutated people have been around for a few years. How come we haven't heard about them before?"

"We do have to watch out for youmas, daimons and all sorts of invaders. And lightning-fast red goo demands a lot of attention."

"Plus, our first priority is to guard the princess from danger. And now I realize that our methods were our first mistake."

"How so?" the aqua-haired girl wondered.

"We now stand guard against dangers that come near us, previously, we kept an eye out for the ones coming from afar. I we hadn't learned about this now, we probably wouldn't have done so until it was too late."

"Very true, in fact, that was the reason we never associated with the inner senshi back in the Silver millennium."

"Hai." Haruka became pensive. "Maybe it would be for the best if-"

"Don't even think about it," Michiru warned, "Usagi would never forgive us if we did that. And it wouldn't be practical either, we've proven how much stronger we are when fighting alongside the inner senshi."

"And then there's Hime-chan," the taller girl added, "Putting her back into isolation after all the hardship she's suffered," she sighed remorsefully, "that would be too cruel." She shook her head, "Ie, we have to consider new methods instead of going back to the old ones."

"You're a professional racer, and you didn't realize it's best to keep going forward than to go back?" Michiru asked with a teasing tone, "I think I'm going to stop placing my money on you."

"That's cold." They saw a newsstand up ahead. "First thing's first, we make like Ami-chan and learn more about the situation. They stopped at the stand and started searching for a proper source, a headline in particular caught their attention.

"'Spider menace still at large'," Haruka read.

"Don't tell me you actually believe that," the guy said, "It doesn't matter what the 'Bugle' says, Spidey's a hero and everyone knows it."

"Spidey?" Michiru asked as she paid the man.

"Spider-Man. I can tell you're new here so I'll do you some illustrating. To make a long story short, he's one of the many heroes taking care of the city. As a matter o' fact, the world would be deprived of my handsome mug if it wasn't for the good ol' slinger."

"Aren't we lucky," the aqua-haired girl said as she sweat-dropped. Said mug weighted 300 pounds, had an unruly beard, baldness, greasy face and a big nose with a wart in the end. "So, this Spider-Man, is he one of the mutants we've heard about?"

"Well," the bearded man scratched his head, "I guess so, but who cares? What matters is that he saves folks. Why lady, I'll bet ya a million bucks that he'll save either you or your boyfriend before the weekend."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed," Haruka quipped, "Arigato."

The two lovers started walking again, Michiru was looking at the picture on the front page. "Apparently, a fair number of people hold the mutants in high esteem. The girl back at the restaurant had advocated for their rights, and this man admires them for what they do."

"Hai, but don't forget that a circus also appeals to people." Haruka checked her watch, "It's getting late, we better head back if we want to be ready on time."

"Hai, I'll call a cab." Michiru had barely raised her hand when they heard screaming coming from across the block.

"Thieves, stop them!"

They both looked up and saw a bunch of very deformed burglars. They ran into an alley and summoned their rods.

"Uranus, crisis power." "Neptune, crisis power." "Make up!" The senshi leapt to a roof and readied a surprise attack.

"Come on Jenny, get a move on!" A long-eared and long-nosed mutant called as he threw small fireballs at people's feet to keep them at bay. Jenny was an eleven-year-old, orange-skinned girl, she was running out of a place and carrying a sack that was much too heavy for her. Another mutant caught up to her, this one was male and sweating blue goop. He was also carrying a bag.

"Don't give up kid, the manhole's just up ahead."

"U-huh," the child barely responded.

"Neither of you is going anywhere."

"What?" The trio looked up and saw two sailor-suited girls standing on top of a lamppost.

"We know little about you, but this we cannot allow," Uranus began.

"There's a chance that you will eventually become a threat to our princess, so we will stop you before that," Neptune completed, "Deep submerge!" Her attack was aimed towards the fire-thrower, he was barely able to defend himself.

"Damn it! Now we gotta deal with suited-up goons?" He threw a larger fireball at the senshi but they jumped away before it hit. The wind senshi ran and jabbed at their attacker, Neptune decided to take care of the gooey one.

"Stay behind me Jenny!" The substance gathered in his hand and he threw it at the ocean senshi, scoring a direct hit. The stuff wasn't harmful, but it hardened quickly, leaving Neptune nearly paralyzed. Her water-based power was capable of dissolving her bonds, but it was going to take time. Taking advantage of her predicament, the man picked Jenny up and tried to escape.

"World shaking!" Despite the name, this attack is based on wind, so when the shorthaired senshi countered a fireball with it, the mutant was blasted by a very large flame. Said blast carried enough force to throw him against a wall and knock him unconscious. "Perfect!" She turned to the escaping ones. "Not so fast!" She went after them. The grown up saw her and made a hasty toss, which was easily avoided. Uranus threw a running jump kick against the gooey one, causing him to drop Jenny. He was unwilling to surrender so he counterattacked, but he was too unskilled for the wind senshi.

"Why don't you just give up?" Uranus asked boastfully, "You have no chance-OOF!" Something heavy hit her stomach, knocking the air out of her. Jenny had swung the sack she'd been carrying and hit her foe. Up until now, the senshi hadn't been aware of who their third opponent was.

"Nani? You're only a child." She saw the terrified glare in the girl's eyes and felt a weight upon her. The sand-blonde tried to reach out to her.

"NO!!" the orange-skinned girl's hair waved up and she threw a powerful kinetic blast at her enemy, slamming her against the wall.

"Uranus!" Neptune was finally free and she ran to her love, "Are you all right?"

"Just a little backache, I'll get over it soon." They were ready to chase the pair down a manhole when they heard sirens. "We better get away too, something tells me that the police in this country mustn't see us yet."

"Agreed." The senshi jumped to the highest and nearest rooftop they could.

From above, they watched as the authorities took away the unconscious mutant, ready to come down again if need be.

"Looks like they'll be able to take care of him," Uranus observed, "Shame the others got away."

"True. And the very thought, bringing a little girl to do something like this," Neptune added disgustedly. She summoned her talisman, "Let's see if I can find-Nani?"

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't know, the Aqua mirror's showing me the spot below us."

"Nani, why would it do that?"

"I don't know," the aqua-haired senshi replied, "Maybe we missed something important." She pried the image thoroughly and her eyes widened. "Ara."

"What did you see?" Instead of receiving a straight answer, Uranus was taken by the arm and told to look carefully.

"Do you see what that girl hit you with?" The sand-blonde looked and knew what the Aqua mirror had been trying to tell them.

"A sack of beans, and the other bag contained cans."

"Food, Uranus, they were stealing food," Neptune's voice was filled with remorse, "I can't believe what we just did."

"We had no way of knowing." Uranus immediately regretted saying that, "We should have known." She took a deep cleansing breath and tried to clear her mind. "Look, there's nothing left for us here. Let's get back to the hotel and after the concert, we'll find out what's really going on." Her ocean princess nodded and they were on their way.

*****

The Hotel:

While Chibi-Usa enjoyed herself in the tub, Setsuna was applying the finishing touches on a new design of hers Hotaru was modeling. The mocha-skinned woman had made and brought evening gowns for everyone just for this occasion, except for Haruka of course.

"Is something wrong Hime-chan?" Setsuna asked, "You seem a bit tense."

"I'm disappointed Setsuna-mama," the girl answered, "This is the first time we're on a holiday together, and this situation shows up. All that was on my mind was having fun with Chibi-Usa-chan, (sigh) it's not fair."

"Ie, it isn't, but as senshi, we have to do something about it. And believe me, the last thing I wanted was a new confrontation."

"It's the nature of this confrontation what has me nervous," the amethyst-eyed girl explained, "We're not going to face creatures from another dimension. Remember what that lady told us, mutants are people, the special abilities they posses are not voluntary."

"Hai, and if we pay heed to experience, said abilities were probably given to them by some alien force in the need of an army." Setsuna stood up and appraised her work, "Not bad, if I do say so myself. You could wear an ornament in your hair and-" she saw a tear roll down Hotaru's cheek, "Hime-chan?"

"Cannon fodder," the pale-skinned girl said as she wept, "that's what these people are being treated as." She let herself fall into her guardian's arms, "Why do they do this?" From the pain in her voice, it was evident that the wounds caused by Mistress 9 were still open.

"My dear Hotaru-chan," Setsuna whispered sweetly, "Look, if this is too difficult for you, you can stay out of it. After all, you're still a child."

"I'm also Sailor Saturn," Hotaru replied with as much courage as she could manage, "and I promised to protect Sailor Chibi-Moon. Besides," a sudden smiled showed up, "if I'm not there to help you, who knows what kind of trouble you three can get into."

"Us? Hime-chan, you're not letting your power go up to your head, ne?" The violet-haired girl just giggled playfully. Chibi-Usa came in at that moment.

"Okay Puu, I'm ready to try my dress on," the future princess announced as she toweled her hair, "Are you all right Hotaru-chan? You look as if you've been crying."

"I'm all right," the pale girl lied, "Setsuna-mama was just a bit clumsy with the needles-Yipe!"

"Watch it," Setsuna said with narrow eyes and a pin among her fingers, "We mustn't let Small Lady suspect anything," she added quietly, "so pretend to be cheerful tonight and we'll plan something tomorrow."

"Michiru-mama is going to play her violin," the girl whispered back as she rubbed her hip, "There'll be no need for pretend." Setsuna just shook her head and chuckled, her child's soul was wounded but it certainly wasn't dead.

"Tadaima," the racer's voice was heard.

"Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa," Hotaru went over to greet her other two parents, "Did you find any places worth going to?"

"Plenty," Michiru replied, "And I found a few dresses that would look wonderful on you." Haruka walked up to Setsuna and Chibi-Usa, the girl was now standing on the chair and being fitted.

"I see you've been making good use of the time," the sand-blonde noticed as she put her hand on the pink-haired girl's head, "I better hurry if I want to catch up."

"Hai. But tell me Haruka-kun, what took you so long?" Chibi-Usa wondered, "You said you were only taking a short walk."

"Well," Haruka took a deep breath, "Michiru and I were learning to see beyond our noses."

*****

Author's notes:

A message for the followers of Marvel comics. I don't know how the morlocks are organized, whether its just one or several groups. I decided for the latter.

As for Stevens' assistant, Michael, having indigo hair while being human, remember that this fanfic is based on Japanese animation, ordinary people have hair in all sorts of colors.