Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the creation if Naoko Takeuchi. Other  
characters are the property of Marvel Comics Inc. No money is being  
made from this and no such intent should be inferred.

Previous Chapters can be found at: http://www.fanfiction.net/ 
~pandorascloset
C&C is always welcome.

* * * *

Bored.

Usagi leaned her chair back on two legs and attempted to balance a  
pencil on the tip of her nose as she listened to the student  
president drone on about some upcoming festival. It was one of the  
big meetings, with not only class reps, but the club presidents as  
well. Fortunately, most of the class reps were also club presidents,  
so the room wasn't as packed as it could have been.

Bored. Bored bored boredey bored bored.

"Representative Tsukino!"

Usagi's chair came down and she came to her feet. "Yes, my liege!"  
she said, saluting. "The warriors of Nan-Jahar stand ready. The  
barbarian hordes of Al-Amherac shall die on the plains of Nagahla  
under the hooves of our horses! We will slaughter them like pigs,  
loot their houses and amuse ourselves with their women! For the glory  
of Nan-Jahar!"

The president nodded, deciding that he probably shouldn't think about  
that too hard. "Er, thank you, Miss Tsukino, but I was wondering  
about your homeroom's plans for the Spring Festival."

"Oh." Usagi looked thoughtful. "You sure you wouldn't rather have Al- 
Amherac slaughtered? Wouldn't be any trouble. We'd be done by lunch."

"Ah, no. Perhaps after the festival."

"Oh." Usagi looked down at the notebook in front of her and began to  
outline plans for a food booth serving Western cuisine.

* * * *

"Nan-Jahar?" Flash asked as she, Ami, and Usagi stood in the front  
entrance, putting on their street shoes. "The Barbarian Hordes of Al- 
Amherwhatever?"

"Al-Amerhac," Usagi corrected. "And what about it? I had to say  
something."

"'Yes?' usually suffices."

"Oh sure," Usagi said, rolling her eyes. "If you want to be rude and  
impolite, yeah."

Flash sighed. "I'd ask what goes on in that head of yours, Usagi, but  
I'm scared you'd tell me."

"I know," Usagi agreed, and laid her hand on the taller girl's  
shoulder. "I feel the same way."

While Flash tried to work that one out, Usagi clapped her hands and  
began to walk backwards. "Anyways, we're losing sight of the  
important things here."

"Which are?" Flash asked.

"One, Ami has a date coming up and now that she has cleavage, should  
she use it to land this Watanabe guy? Two, what would Luna look like  
if she were human? We'll go with the second one since it's more  
important."

"A young woman," Ami said after a moments thought. "With black hair.  
Very pretty."

Flash shrugged. "I'll go with Ami. Pretty young woman."'

Usagi turned around, sidestepped a light pole and fell into place  
beside Ami. "I think she's a little kid. With cat ears and a tail.  
Except she can hide them. She can also transform into a Senshi.  
Except she uses a phone and a fan as a weapon."

Flash looked at her for a moment. "Usagi, that's weird, even for you.  
Next you'll be telling us that Tuxedo Kamen is a jewel thief."

"Well he might be," Mamoru said from behind them. "Whose Tuxedo  
Kamen, Meatball Head? New boyfriend?"

"Don't I wish," Usagi muttered and then grabbed Ami and spun her  
around to face Mamoru. "Actually, Mammy-chan, we're trying to decide  
something."

"It's Mamoru," he said through clenched teeth.

"Right, Mammy-chan. Anyways, pretending you're straight for a moment,  
what would you prefer? Ami no cleavage? Or . . ." She pulled down the  
collar of Ami's school blouse. "Ami cleavage?"

Mamoru's mouth opened and closed a few times as he stared at her.  
"Wha--what do you mean, 'pretending that I'm straight'?"

"Well, look at you. Gray pants, black turtleneck with a green suit  
jacket?"

"What does that have to do with my sexuality?" Mamoru shouted,  
causing several people to look at them curiously.

"Oh, nothing, but I did get you to embarrass yourself, so it all  
works out."

"You . . . I . . . you . . ."

Usagi smirked and patted his cheek insultingly. "You're right. Just a  
hint of cleavage. Thanks, Mammy-chan. Come along, ladies."

The trio walked away, leaving Mamoru to stand there, gaping like a fish.

* * * *

"I hate her," Mamoru moaned, resting his forehead on the table. "I  
hate her, I hate her, I hate her." As usual, after a run in with  
Tsukino, he had a headache.

On the other side of the table, Motoki, Mamoru's best friend, raised  
an eyebrow and took a sip of soda. "Then why do you keep talking to  
her?"

"I don't want to, God knows I don't," Mamoru said. "Every time I run  
into her, either she says something and I can't help it but say  
something back, or I can't resist poking fun at her."

"Sounds like when you run into Sailor Moon," Motoki observed.

Mamoru's head came up off the table. "Not out in public!" he hissed.

"Oh, relax," Motoki assured him. "This cafe is just about deserted  
and the waitress is probably making out with the manager in the back  
room. Who's gonna hear us?"

Mamoru looked around. True, the cafe was virtually deserted, and  
there was only a cashier at the register, filing her nails.

Furthermore, Mamoru and Motoki were at the far end of the cafe, well  
away from the register.

"Told you," Motoki said with an air of satisfaction.

Mamoru grunted and resumed resting his forehead on the tabletop. It  
was cool to the touch and the Formica smelled nice. The cleaner they  
use here smelled like lemons. Mamoru liked lemons. He wondered if he  
would taste lemons if he licked the table.

"It is odd, though," Motoki said, "why would those three know about  
your alter ego?

Mamoru's head came up, eyes wild. He'd been so focused on Usagi's  
insult to his sexuality that he'd completely overlooked her friend's  
comment. For a moment, he was gripped by utter paranoia and then  
logic asserted itself. "Don't be ridiculous Motoki," he said. "Sailor  
Moon is nothing like Tsukino. She's brash, loud, insane, and obsessed  
with making me look like an ass. Do you know what she said about my  
cape the other night?"

"Something about how it makes you a low-rent Batman, but that's  
beside the point."

"It is the point. Sailor Moon is a mental case and Tsukino is . . ."  
he trailed off as he realized the same term could apply to Tsukino as  
well. "No," he said at last, shaking his head. "I don't see it."

"De nile isn't just a river in Egypt, Mon," Motoki said in a bad  
Jamaican accent.

"Oh shut up," Mamoru snarled.

* * * *

"All right . . ." Flash said, shifting the text book on her lap.  
"Question Five."

"Zombie Monkey Buttsex," Usagi responded and clacked her chopsticks  
in Flash's general direction before returning to her bento.

Flash rolled her eyes. "Usagi, this is algebra. How the hell does  
that have anything to do with . . . what you just said?"

"Easy. Z over M times B equals six," Usagi replied smugly.

Flash stared at her and then decided not to ask. Instead, she looked  
down at Question 5, which was . . . Z over M times B equals six,  
provided M equaled two and B equaled one. She stared at Usagi again,  
who returned her stare with an innocent smile.

Flash shook her head. 'Remember the rule', she reminded herself,  
'asking Usagi how she does stuff like that gets you a migraine.'  
Instead, she looked at Ami, who was staring off into space.

"Ami?"

"Twelve over two times one equals six" Ami replied absently and then  
blinked at them. "Sorry, what?"

"Ami, you've been distant for the past three weeks, ever since the  
hockey game."

"It's not the hockey game," Ami replied, resuming staring into space.

"The trip to that airship?"

Ami shook her head. "It's the date tomorrow. I'm not sure . . . it's  
for the best."

"Oh, right," Usagi said, "Tomorrow's also when Gendo died, isn't it?"

Ami nodded. "I was going to spend it at the cemetery."

Flash shrugged. "Look, just pay Usagi five thousand yen to call you  
over some made-up emergency at an hour or so into the date. You duck  
out saying you gotta help a friend, then got to the cemetery and do  
whatever is you do. Then you just tell your aunt you hated it, won't  
go near him ever again, and there you go! Everybody's happy."

Usagi stared at her. "Flash, I am shocked. Shocked and horrified that  
you think so little of me. What kind of friend would I be to stoop so  
low that I would take part in such a rude and crass scheme?"

"Not enough money?"

"Not enough money."

* * * *

As she had with that first date with Gendo, Usagi helped Ami prepare.  
This time, Ami wore dark colors and very little makeup.

Aunt Mai clearly didn't approve, but Usagi fast talked her out of  
making Ami go change.

She was good at that.

Flash met them at the train station and they traveled to the park in  
silence.

"So where are you supposed to meet this guy?" Flash asked.

Ami pointed. "Over there by the fountain," she said. Thankfully, it  
wasn't the same park that Gendo had died at. She wasn't sure if she  
could handle this without freaking out again if that was the case.

The trio stood there for a while, not saying anything until Flash let  
out a little purr.

"What?" Usagi asked.

Flash pointed. Walking down the path was a tall young man with bright  
red hair down to well past his shoulders. He was lean without being  
skinny, tall without being a giant and wore a black turtleneck, and  
dark blue trousers. Sunglasses covered his eyes and his hands were in  
his pockets as he walked without a care in the world.

"Hubba hubba," Usagi said and then nudged Ami. "Think he's your date?"

"I doubt it," Ami said.

"Yeah," Flash agreed. "How can anyone that hot be single?"

"I'll be his mistress," Usagi leered. "Flash, wanna share? I bet  
there's enough for both of us."

"What happened to one guy only?"

"Exceptions to every rule, Kino," Usagi said loftily, "exceptions to  
every rule."

The young man paused, looked at the fountain and then began walking  
towards them.

"Excuse me," he said as he stopped a few feet away. "But is one of  
you Ami Mizuno?" He removed his glasses, revealing eyes of jade green  
and met her eyes.

Ami felt something she didn't even know was there slot into place. It  
felt . . . right. He smiled and she felt a stab of heat in her belly.

"I am," she said, but it came out in a squeak. She coughed and  
managed a bow. "I am," she said more normally.

He returned the bow. "Makato James Wantanbe. M.J. to my friends.  
Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," Ami said and indicated Flash and Usagi. "My friends.  
Makoto Kino, and Usagi Tsukino."

"Call me Flash or lose a kneecap," Flash growled.

"Monkeys steal my underwear at night," Usagi chirped.

M.J. didn't even bat an eye, he was staring at Usagi's hair. "Um," he  
said after a moment, "I'm sure you've heard every meatball joke ever  
told and I like my insides inside me. What do you say I made the  
wisecrack, you ripped out my guts, and we'll call it even?"

Usagi's smile was feral. "Oh you're clever," she purred, "I LIKE you."

"I'm glad," he replied. "I've heard the stories."

"I haven't," Usagi muttered.

"What do you mean?" Flash asked. "You planted half of them."

"SHHHHHHHH!" Usagi hissed.

"Well you were bragging about it the other day," Flash said as  
offhandedly as she could.

"Will you shut up?"

Flash shut up, but she was smirking. Usagi glared at her, promising  
certain doom as payback at a later date.

"I-I . . ." Ami stuttered and then she bowed. "I'm sorry, I can't!"  
With that, she ran out of the park.

M.J. stared after and then scratched his head. "What?"

Usagi watched Ami fade into the distance, her mouth a thin line.  
"It's not your fault," she said after a moment, "do you know who  
Gendo is?"

M.J. scratched his head, thinking. "I believe Ms. Mizuno mentioned  
him, I think."

"He died on this day several months ago," Usagi explained, "Ami  
blames herself for it . . . she wasn't there, ya know?"

M.J. nodded. "I can . . . relate."

"Mai," Usagi said sardonically, "thinks Ami has grieved long enough  
and set her up with a nice piece of eye candy so she'll get over  
Gendo. Never mind that grief doesn't work like that," there was a  
cold anger with an underlying note of rage in her voice. "Just  
replace you with Gendo, and everything's normal again."

M.J. nodded and then shrugged. "Well, we are neighbors, perhaps at a  
better time." He slipped on his sunglasses. "In the meantime, ladies,  
perhaps you would like to feast on some eye candy and ice cream?"

"Actually," Usagi said, taking his arm, "I have a better idea."

* * * *

Two hours later . . .

"Your better idea was to dress him up in women's clothing and take  
him to Tokyo Tower?" Flash asked.

"It's all wrong," Usagi said, "all wrong."

"The cross-dressing or the fact that if I didn't know better I'd  
mistake him for a woman?" Flash asked, thoroughly enjoying Usagi's  
irritation. "He's a very convincing woman, incidentally."

"But . . . but . . . he's supposed to be upset! Flustered!"

"About?" M.J. asked, rejoining them.

Usagi seemed to be at a loss for words and M.J. chuckled.

"Until fairly recently," he said, leaning on a railing and crossing  
his arms, "relatively speaking, that is, it was illegal for a woman  
to act, but plays and such still called for female roles. An entire  
art form devoted entirely to men impersonating women evolved and it's  
still practiced today. As it happens, it's taught at my theater  
school and I try not to miss sessions."

"And Mai knew this?" Usagi asked in a voice of ice.

"I believe it came up in conversation once or twice, yes," M.J.  
replied with a total lack of concern. "Among my interests in things  
like Western Cinema, Animation, the internet, chess," he turned to  
look at Usagi and this time, he smirked, "and that I've a gift for  
improvisation. I don't surprise easily, by the way."

Usagi stared at him, making sputtering noises and then she smiled   
broadly and threw her arms out to the side. "I love it!" She cried  
out, spinning in place. "God, I absolutely love it!" She laughed.  
"Well played, Mai! Well played!"

* * * *

Spring came to an end and turned into summer. Usagi, Flash, and Ami  
passed out of junior High school and High School loomed on the horizon.

With school out, they devoted their energies to Senshi business.  
Which was few and far between, leaving them with plenty of free time.  
Most of the time was spent at Ami or Usagi's house, just hanging out.

Flash and Usagi would compete at video games or watch Hong Kong kung- 
fu movies while Ami worked on her laptop, a birthday present from her  
Grandfather.

It was about the middle of summer vacation when Flash and Usagi went  
over to Ami's house and found her with a desktop system set up on her  
desk, the laptop on a stool, and surrounded by papers and news- 
clippings. There was a writing pad on her lap, and Ami was working  
both computers at once, occasionally stopping to write on the pad.

"What the shit hell?" Flash asked.

"Transcribing porn?" Usagi asked lightly.

Ami shook her head. "I'm compiling all encounters with Beryl and her  
forces by location, time and date, and anything they might have  
taken. I'm positive there's a pattern. If we can predict their  
movements, we might be able to ambush them and put an end to this."

Flash leaned over Ami's chair and looked at the screens. "You made a  
mistake," she said. "You have us fighting them here at the mall last  
month, but this here says they were raiding a metals warehouse."

"I did?" Ami looked at the screens.

"Yeah," Usagi said, joining them. "And here, the night at the  
amusement park, you have them stealing water tanks."

Flash chuckled and pointed at the screen. "And look here, that night  
when you guys saved my ass, you have them . . ." she trailed off as  
her brain suddenly put it together. "Ohmigod."

"I think we found your pattern, Ami," Usagi whispered.

Ami's fingers flew over the keyboard of the desktop, assigning a red  
dot to the places where they had fought the youma, and blue where  
they hadn't. Within minutes, the truth was spelled out in color coded  
detail. For every battle the Senshi had been involved in, youma had  
been stealing something elsewhere.

Silence reigned in the room. Each of the girls felt they should say  
something, anything to break the silence, but even Usagi was at a  
loss for words.

Five minutes passed, ten minutes, half an hour, an hour.

"That bitch," Flash spat, "that clever bitch." She invented several  
new curses.

Ami nodded. "Beryl drew us out with a Youma attack in one place and  
once we'd engaged the Youma, her forces conducted a raid elsewhere."

"She sucker-punched us!" Usagi exclaimed.

"So what did she steal?" Flash asked.

Ami consulted her notes. "Water tanks, raw cadmium, refined metals,  
something called V I twenty-eight from the university, and a compound  
referred to as A D M four twenty-three from Stark Enterprises Japan.  
There's also several computer thefts, and a prison break in New York,  
a man named Elliot Franklin, a physicist. Some message boards are  
also talking about aim and hydra, whatever that means."

So Beryl is building something," Flash mused, "but what?"

"That or teaching a greek myth to sharp-shoot," Usagi said.

"I don't know," Ami admitted, making a face. "A weapon?"

"But maybe there's someone who does," Usagi said. "Suit up, ladies."

* * * *

Betty Banner had the most amazing mouth. Bruce Banner knew this  
because she was currently seated astride him  as he reclined in the  
furo and using that mouth right where his neck met his shoulder.

Bruce let out a small moan as Betty used her tongue and her teeth,  
tracing a line along his collarbone and across his neck.

Suddenly, her head came up, nipped at his chin and then she kissed him.

 From downstairs, came the sound of breaking glass.

"Ding Dong! Senshi calling!" came Sailor Moon's voice up the stairs  
from the clinic. "Oh, Banty-chan!"

"We're not home," Bruce said, slouching into the water. "Pretend  
we're not home and maybe she'll go away."

"Hey!" Sailor Moon called again. "Bruce Banner! Come out come out  
wherever you are."

"How the hell did she know my real name?" Bruce demanded.

Betty kissed him again. "Let's go ask, handsome. Before she decides  
to come looking for you."

A few minutes later, wearing a shirt and pants, Bruce made his way  
down the stairs to the clinic, Betty at his side. "What?" he grumbled.

Sailor Moon slapped a sheet of paper onto one of the exam tables. It  
was a map of Tokyo inset with a map of New York. The map of Tokyo was  
covered with red and blue dots and one blue dot was on the Map of New  
York. Writing was next to each dot.

"This is the location, time and date of every Youma attack or unusual  
instance in the past six months," she said. "Including what was  
stolen. The red dots are where we fought youma, the blue dots are  
where we didn't. Notice anything?"

Banner's first thought was that there was a same number of blue and  
red dots and then he started reading the writing.

"Oh, God," he groaned, and sank onto a stool. "No, no, no, no."

"Bruce?" Betty asked, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Honey?"

Bruce looked at his wife, tears running down his cheeks. "How did  
they find it, Betty? How?"

"Find what? Bruce, what's the matter?"

"Look at what they stole. Recognize the materials?"

Betty leaned over the table and read. Then her face paled and her  
legs buckled. "Oh, God!"

It was at that moment that Strange came in. "Sorry, for calling  
unexpectedly, Bruce, but I've come across an interesting . . ." he  
looked at Bruce and Betty's stricken faces. "Perhaps some tea first?"

* * * *

Ten minutes later, the Banners, Strange, and the Senshi sat in the  
main living area of the house. Bruce and Betty were clinging to each  
other, and  even Strange looked perturbed.

"Good tea, Doc," Sailor Moon said. "Now could we cut the melodrama  
and somebody tell me why the hell you're acting like the world has  
come to an end? Or is about to?"

"Gamma," Bruce said, as though it explained everything and got a rude  
look in reply. "Sorry." He rubbed his cheek. "About fifteen years  
ago, I got my doctorate in Nuclear Physics, second youngest person to  
do so. My thesis work was on Gamma Energy, a type of fusion reaction  
with theoretically more power output then nuclear energy for about  
half the cost. At the time, the existence of such energy was  
theoretical. I proved it's existence and how to harness it."

"This was the waning days of the Cold War," Betty said. "There was a  
strong conviction that the Soviets would go to war rather then see  
Communism fall. America wanted something better than nukes."

"A . . . gamma bomb?" Jupiter asked.

Betty nodded. "After an . . . accident during testing, the project  
was scrapped and as far as I know, all data was destroyed."

"Evidentially not," Strange said. "Bruce, how big could this bomb  
possibly be, if that is what they're building?"

"Big."

"Big?" Sailor Moon asked. "Big like a repeat of Hiroshima big?"

Bruce shook his head. "Worse. Unless they're planning on building a  
bunch of Gamma snoopys, there's enough here to turn the entire  
business district into rubble and that doesn't include the effects on  
any survivors or the potential side effects."

"A revival of the whole Kogal thing?" Usagi asked. "I mean, you're  
talking about some really heavy tanning, right?"

Banner glared. "This is Japan," he replied, with some effort to keep  
his voice level. "We're the western side of the Ring of Fire. Do you  
have any idea what that means?"

"That we're the western side of the Ring of Fire," Usagi responded  
with a nod and vacant smile.

Banner gritted his teeth and silently counted to ten. "How you can  
grow up in one of the most seismically active countries in the world  
and not have a working knowledge of seismology?" Banner had grown up  
in Los Angeles, so like most native Californians, he'd picked up the  
basics without even trying. However, he'd gone a few steps further  
and actually studied it before turning to nuclear physics.

"Very easily," Usagi assured him.

"Just keep going," Flash said. "It's not worth it."

"Right. Okay, you all know that the Earth's surface is made up of  
gigantic plates of crust floating on magma, right?" Everyone nodded.  
"An Earthquake is basically what happens when two plates collide and  
Japan sits right over . . . what is it? Two? Three fault lines?  
Anyways, the point is, Japan has one of the highest number of  
earthquakes per year. It also has a large number of volcanos, which  
do their own share of earthshaking if they go off. This is compounded  
by the fact that Japan isn't exactly a single land-mass, but a series  
of islands. Islands are the above water portions of underwater  
mountains, which are often dormant or extinct volcanos." Banner hated  
referring to volcanos as extinct. After all, everyone had thought  
Mount Saint Helens was extinct, and look what happened.

Flash scratched her head. "Okay, so?"

"So, if a gamma bomb of this size and power goes off it could trigger  
the fault lines and cause an earthquake of at least nine on the  
Richter scale."

"The trigger effect?" Ami exclaimed. "That's still theoretical! I  
mean, there's the data from the nuclear tests in the Middle East,  
but . . ." she trailed off, looking at him helplessly."

"Okay, so its a really bad earthquake," Flash said, "so?"

"Do you know what causes tsunamis?" Banner asked and Flash shook her  
head."

"Underwater earthquakes," Banner replied. "So the gamma bomb goes  
off, triggering a series of earthquakes, Tokyo is devastated and the  
whole country feels the quake. It's possible to rebuild, but it'll  
take a while. But, those same quakes could set off quakes in the  
Pacific , which will set off tsunamis both there and possibly in and  
the Sea of Japan. At the very least, we're talking about the  
obliteration of Japan and Hawaii, the destruction of most, if not all  
of East Asia, and probably heavy damage to western North, Central,  
and parts of South America. If you want to take it one step further,  
a chain reaction scenario that sets off a worldwide quake. Billions  
will die and God knows what else it would do to the environment.  
That's assuming the planet doesn't shake itself apart in the process."

"Oh," Flash said, her face pale. Had Banner gone into what would  
happen to any nuclear reactors, he knew, she probably would have  
fainted. Hell, just thinking about it in the abstract made him  
lightheaded.

Banner nodded. "It's improbable, yeah, but we can't afford to not  
consider it. I just wish I knew what this stuff they took from Stark  
was all about."

"International secrets," Fury said from the doorway. With him were  
two very large, dark skinned men in black suits. Fury carried a steel  
box under one arm and one of the men carried a briefcase. "Big,  
international secrets." He indicated the two men. "This is Captain  
Aban and the one with the briefcase is Colonel Mobou of the Wakandan  
Guard."

"Wakandan?" Sailor Moon asked. "Did somebody give Fozzie Bear his own  
country?" Neither of the two men so much as twitched. "Aw," she  
moaned, "that was a good joke. Come on, people!" No response. "Jeez,  
tough crowd."

"I don't recall calling you, Fury," Bruce growled.

"You didn't have to, Strange wouldn't have come by unless it was  
important."

"And those two?" Jupiter asked.

"Mizuno left her computer on and you three left in costume and in a  
hurry. We got curious." Fury shrugged. "You want answers or not?"

"All right, Nicholas," Strange said, "the floor is yours."

"I want to remind all of you that what I'm about to tell you is not  
to leave this room." He waited until everyone had nodded. "About ten  
years ago, a new alloy was discovered. Slightly more rare than gold."  
 From the box under his arm, Fury removed a single dark gray bar of  
metal and handed it to Jupiter as she was closest. "It's called  
Adamantium. Less mass than steel and ten times as tough. Virtually  
unbreakable and shields radiation even better than lead or steel. The  
bar Jupiter is holding weighs only about half a pound, if that, but  
offers better shielding at a centimeter thick than five inches of lead."

"Damn." Sailor Moon said.

Fury nodded. "Around the same time, a new nation emerged from  
isolation; Wakanda. It's a very old country steeped in tradition and  
lore, but also violence. Wakanda is also sitting on a motherload of  
precious metals and ores. Including this stuff."

Colonel Mobou opened his briefcase, revealing a lump of metal about  
the size of Sailor Moon's fist. "Vibranium," he said in a mellow voice.

"It's metal with surprising conductivity, especially with sound and  
rare enough to make Gold look like copper," Fury explained. "At the  
time, King T'Challa, newly crowned, sold off five pounds of it and  
made himself rich. Used it to send himself and others to schools  
around the world and they came home and turned their nation into a  
fortress. Wakanda is sitting on an estimated four billion tons of  
Vibranium and they don't like outsiders."

"Any who wish to invade our land," Aban said, "will find themselves  
very sorry. We do not give mercy to invaders."

"Anyways," Fury said. "The university here in Tokyo was working with  
Stark Enterprises on deep space research. There was a pound of  
Vibranium on loan to the university as part of it. This lump Mobou is  
holding was in storage and under S.H.I.E.L.D. guard. My people  
managed to get it out of the lab and away from the . . ." he made a  
face. "Youma." Fury clearly didn't care for the supernatural.

"Crap," Banner said, scrawling equations on the map and then slammed  
his fist down on the table, shattering it. "How much of this  
adamantium stuff did they take from Tony?"

"It was stored in liquid form and there was about maybe fifteen  
gallons."

"Fuck," Banner swore again. "Fuck fuck fuck."

"Bruce?" Strange asked and Banner let out a sigh.

"Bad."

"Define 'Bad', Banner," Fury demanded. "The word 'bad' makes me  
twitchy."

Bruce repeated his explanation of Gamma bombs and fault lines and  
Fury looked sick by the time he was done.

"Crap. Banner, you never should have invented that damn thing."

"I almost didn't," Bruce replied. "Blame Reed Richards."

"If we live through this," Fury said, "you can tell me the story. In  
the meantime, suggestions?"

"Evacuate the city," Strange said simply.

"Have you been smoking too much incense?" Fury demanded. "There's no  
way to do that, not in any reasonable time frame."

"Your job is to save lives, Nicholas!" Strange shouted.

"Wakanda must get the Vibranium back!" Mobou shouted, wading into the  
fray.

Banner joined Strange in the shouting and this left the Senshi to  
look at each other.

Sailor Moon closed her eyes and began to laugh quietly. "I can't  
escape it, can I?" She took a teacup from the remains of the table  
and hurled it at Fury's head.

Reflexively, he ducked and it was enough to cause a break in the  
shouting as they all looked to see where it had come from.

Slowly, Sailor Moon stood. "We're not waiting, and we're not  
evacuating. We're going after them. Beryl wants a fight, she'll get  
it." Sailor Moon's eyes were cold, hard, and perhaps most  
frightening; sane. "And now," she said in a flat voice, "I'll tell  
you how."

* * * *

According to Banner, the only things Beryl needed to complete the  
bomb was a supply of cobalt, and some uranium. The beauty of the  
gamma bomb was that it needed uranium. It could be enriched, which  
gave better performance, but raw would work just as well.

S.H.I.E.L.D had no idea where Beryl intended to get the cobalt, but  
there was a shipment of uranium fuel rods arriving in Tokyo in two  
weeks by ship.

The plan (with some refinement since Usagi was in favor of shooting  
tactical nukes through the portal) was simple; Sailor Moon, Sailor  
Jupiter and Spiderwoman, along with Banner, Strange, and  several  
squads of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents would sail out to the cargo ship before  
it arrived in the bay. Disguised as officers in the military and  
nuclear techs, they would board the ship for "an inspection" and then  
wait for Beryl to strike. When they did, Strange would force their  
portal to stay open while they launched a counter attack.

Mobou and his Wakandans (at Mobou's insistence) would be accompanying  
them in order to retrieve or destroy the vibranium, but the primary  
objective was to get the Senshi to Beryl and take her down.

The hard part was Ami. Usagi came and went as she pleased and Flash  
answered to no one but herself. But Ami had Aunt Mai, who would  
hardly approve of her niece running off to another dimension and  
possibly get killed.

In the end, it was Usagi who fast talked Mai into believing that she,  
Ami, and a few friends were taking a trip by boat to a private island  
resort.

Once that was out of the way, all that was left to do was wait and by  
unspoken agreement, they did most of their waiting at Flash's and  
even Usagi was nervous. Ami could tell because the blonde wasn't  
cracking very many jokes. At times, entire hours went by without  
Usagi making some comment, or holding one-sided conversations with  
the TV.

Two days before the ship arrived, Ami packed a bag and prepared to  
leave for the island. Underneath the clothes and swimsuits were  
refills for web-fluid, her laptop, and a tool set. The plan was to  
head for Banterman's and lie low until it was go time.

Usagi and Flash knocked on the door just after ten and Usagi swore  
all sorts of promises to Aunt Mai about safety, keeping in touch and  
the dangers of excessive tanning. All of which she fully intended to  
break, Ami knew.

"You're going to hell for lying, you realize that," Flash said to  
Usagi as they walked down the walk and out the gate.

"I'll be in good company," Usagi said, making a gesture of dismissal.  
"Besides, ruling the dead is a worthwhile career goal."

"Oh, I see. A realistic ambition."

"Career goal, Flash. It's a career goal."

"You know you have mental problems, right?"

"I prefer the term 'psychiatric issues'."

"You're insane."

"Sanity challenged."

"Ami!"

The trio turned to see M.J. running out of his house. "Ami!" he  
called again and vaulted the fence in a stunning display of  
athleticism. "Ami!" he called a third time as he ran up to them and  
wasn't even breathing hard.

"Oh, my," Flash murmured.

"Ami! I'm glad I caught you. Look, Usagi told me about Gendo and what  
that day meant to you and I'm really sorry about it."

"It's all right," Ami said quietly, not looking at him. "You didn't  
know."

"Yeah, but I'd still like to take you out on that date."

"I'd like that," Ami heard herself say and inside her head, Mercury  
and Spiderwoman began shouting at her for this betrayal of Gendo's  
memory.

"Great," Usagi said. "It's a date."

"So just where are you three off to, anyways?"

"We're gonna sneak aboard a ship carrying enriched uranium and  
assuming it doesn't blow up, we're gonna head to another dimension  
and fight with an evil sorceress and probably get killed in the  
process," Usagi declared with an absolutely straight face. "If we  
survive, we should be back in a few weeks."

"So it's Senshi business then. Well, be careful," M.J. replied, not  
taking his eyes off Ami. "I hate losing friends."

Three jaws dropped in sheer shock. "Buh?" Usagi asked. "I say buh?"

"I . . . I . . " Ami stammered and raised her head, and her eyes  
seemed to automatically lock with his. "I . . ." Everything else but  
those green eyes seemed to fade away and a thousand possibilities  
unfolded before her.

"If I could go with you, I would," he said, breaking their eye  
contact and jolting Ami back to reality. "Good luck." Then he turned  
and ran back inside.

"Motherfucking piss ball damn it all to hell," Flash swore as she  
started after him only to be stopped by Ami's hand on her wrist.  
"Sonuva bitch, Ami, what is it? He knows! He's a threat to us!"

"He's not a danger," Ami said. "He won't tell."

"What makes you so sure?" Flash demanded.

"Spider-sense?" Usagi asked and Ami nodded.

"All that means is he's not a threat to her!" Flash retorted hotly.  
"That sense of hers does jack shit to protect anyone else."

"Flash, what makes you think she alone is exempt if something happens  
to you or worse, me?" Flash frowned and Usagi pressed her point.  
"Call it a gut level instinct. He's safe."

"Wasn't it a 'gut level instinct' that lead you to spray paint a  
naked woman in repose on the side of the gym?"

"Yup!"

"You know, I'm still high off the paint fumes from that."

"So?"

"It was three weeks ago!"

"Is that bad?" Usagi asked as she grinned impishly and then took off  
down the sidewalk, Flash in hot pursuit.

Ami hefted her bag. M.J. would just have to wait as much as she  
wanted to know how he knew and why he wasn't a threat, she had to be  
pragmatic. Beryl first, then M.J.

It was just the way things were.

Turning away, she ran to catch up with her friends.

The trip to Shinjuku was spent in silence, at least on Ami's part.  
Too much was happening at once and she needed to process and analyze  
it all.

Flash crossed her arms and glowered at anyone who came near them.

Usagi spent the trip chatting with a fat kid with bad skin and even  
worse hair. Their conversation apparently revolved around analyzing  
an ecchi hentai series on an artistic level and searching for meaning  
and content.

"Porn is an art form too," was Usagi's response when Flash gave her  
look as they left the train in Shinjuku. "What? You can't masturbate  
and find inspiration at the same time?" Flash opened and shut her  
mouth several times and Usagi sighed. "Flash, you need to get laid."

"That's what got me into this mess!" Flash snarled.

"Oh yeah," Usagi said thoughtfully and hopped a low barricade.

Had either Ami or Flash been paying closer attention, they might have  
noticed that in doing so, Usagi had perfectly duplicated M.J. when  
he'd hopped his fence earlier.

* * * *

"Okay," Usagi said, "lemme see, if I have everything." She emptied  
out her pack onto the living room floor and began inventory. "Change  
of clothes, ostrich egg, toothbrush, incendiary grenades, fifth of  
whiskey, ooh, better drink that." She did so. "Um, house keys, car  
keys, Banty-chan's keys."

"Hey!" Banner snapped, reaching over and snatching his keys from the  
pile. "Damnit, don't do that." He paused. "Wait a minute, those are  
MY car keys!" He took those back as well. "Jeez."

Usagi ignored him and continued her inventory. "High explosives,  
mercury switches, coupon for half off at McDonald's, cell phone,  
transit pass, condoms, clean handkerchief, yaoi manga, cards with my  
MySpace URL on them, Pictures of Ami's ass to sell, and most  
importantly, a nail care kit. Can't survive anywhere with nails that  
haven't been cared for, doncha know."

Many years later, Ami would reflect on how everyone present that  
night were wondering not about the explosives and how she'd gotten  
her hands on them, but instead about the ostrich egg.

"I got a question for you, Tsukino," Banner said as Usagi repacked  
her bag. "What's with the meatballs?"

Usagi blinked at him. "You know, no one's ever asked me that before."  
She shrugged and began undoing the balls as Betty and Flash came in  
from the kitchen chatting animatedly about recipes. With a soft  
rustle, Usagi's now unbound hair spilled down around her, making her  
look like a golden cone.

"Oh my," Betty breathed, touching the golden strands. "It's so soft.  
And there's no split ends. You have got to tell me your secret."

Usagi shrugged. "Monthly appointments at the best hair salon in  
Tokyo. They wash, dry and pile about five tons of hair care products  
in it. I keep it in the 'meatballs' because its the only way I can  
wear it without tripping on it, the sheer weight giving me a  
headache, or pulling me off balance. I haven't cut it since the night  
my Mom died at Okinawa." She held up her hand, palm up and then  
tipped it, as though pouring something. "She came up with the style;  
thought it looked cute. I kept wearing it like this in her memory, at  
least at first, now . . ." she shrugged. "It confers on me my powers  
of fabulousness."

Banner rolled his eyes. "I curse the day I met you."

"I curse the day they stopped making Samurai Pizza Cats," Usagi said.  
"I also curse the ice cream shop, but nobody seems to understand why."

* * * *

The boat was packed as it skipped and bounced over the water.

On deck, Sailor Moon leafed through her yaoi manga. She wore a  
buttoned up lab coat, and her hair was hidden under a cap. She looked  
like a very short, rather effeminate man. The disguise had been her  
idea and had been whipped up in the time it took to fetch the  
clothes. She leaned against the railing, unconcerned about falling  
over the side and appeared to be oblivious to anything but the manga  
in her hands.

Sailor Jupiter and Spiderwoman had presented a problem. Both were  
tall and most definitely female in all regards. In the end, they had  
dressed up in navy uniforms. It had been the first time in ten years  
that Sailor Jupiter had let down her hair for reasons other then  
showering or sleeping and she felt a little weird. She also was  
trying to not throw up. She was supposed to be in the Navy, after all.

Spiderwoman was not nauseous, Spiderwoman stood as still as a statue.  
She was also using her powers to adhere to the deck, letting her move  
with the ship and not have to worry about keeping her balance. At the  
moment, Sailor Jupiter hated Spiderwoman.

In the pilot's cabin, Nick Fury stood, smoking a cigar, staring the  
black dot of the cargo ship in the distance. Beside him, several  
Japanese S.H.I.E.L.D agents disguised as high-ranking officers and  
Stephen Strange, who wore a suit and tie and an expression of polite  
boredom. At the back of the cabin was Bruce, also clad in a suit and  
doing everything he could to look like a government agent.

"Nervous, Nicholas?" Strange asked.

"Why would I be nervous, Strange?" Fury asked, "all I'm doing is  
leading my troops on a possible suicide mission because of a threat  
you swear to me is real and our only real weapon is a young girl who  
is quite possibly either Jesus with an double X chromosome or the  
Antichrist. Which one depends on not only the decisions of an  
egyptian mutant nobody's heard from in two thousand years, but the  
off chance said possible messiah might decide to turn evil just to  
annoy people. Why would I possibly be nervous?"

"Ah," Strange replied. "My apologies. I thought the fact that you've  
smoked five cigars in just under an hour and are puffing on a sixth  
might mean you're nervous. Again, I apologize."

"Stark taught you sarcasm in college, didn't he, Strange?"

"We were roommates for several years, I might have picked up a few  
things in that time."

Through the windows, the cargo ship loomed larger.

"Strange, are you sure you can do this? Are you sure SHE can do this?"

"If not, Nicholas, then we're all dead."

* * * *

The ship's captain wasn't happy to see them, but Colonel Fury of the  
U.N. security forces (his public title), was not a someone to be  
trifled with. Puffing out cigar smoke with every sentence, he  
browbeat the poor man into accepting what was essentially a legal  
hijacking of his ship and his authority.

Then came the waiting. Nobody knew when Beryl would strike, and not  
even Strange could guarantee that she would strike.

"I hate waiting," Sailor Moon declared to a coil of rope. "It takes  
too long."

For once, nobody disagreed with her.

Then, when the ship was only half an hour from the dock, the radio  
crackled to life. "Colonel, this is Decoy, the ducks are at the lake.  
Over."

Decoy was the code name given to three S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who,  
disguised as the Senshi and Spiderwoman would confront the youma when  
they attacked somewhere in Tokyo. The idea was that Beryl would  
believe that the Senshi had arrived and attack the ship. Assuming of  
course, that she wasn't planning on attacking elsewhere, or even  
attacking the ship in open water.

"'Bout damn time," Fury said and turned to the captain. "Captain, if  
you want to keep your skin and your crew intact, I suggest you  
abandon ship." Nearby, Strange used magic to shed his suit and don  
his "work clothes".

"What the? Who are you people?"

Banner loomed up behind him. "The man said abandon ship."

The captain decided then and there to find a new line of work.

When the boat that had brought them to the ship was racing away, Fury  
clicked the radio. "All right, Decoy, you know what to do." He  
switched channels. "This is it, people. Take your positions and lock  
and load."

* * * *

The portal slid open and Magnetite smirked as she gazed down over the  
ship that held their prize. After this, there was just the cobalt and  
then the real work, the Onslaught, could begin. It would be glorious.

"What's with all the people on the deck?" Kunzite asked as the youma  
prepared to go through the portal.

"The crew wanting to get off the ship," Magnetite replied. "Every  
sailor whose ever lived wants shore leave after a long voyage. That's  
why it's called shore leave. Idiot."

* * * *

"It's open," Strange said. "There's an open portal on deck just  
before the bow. Very clumsy, they're expending a hideous amount of  
power just maintaining it."

"I don't see anything," Banner said.

"It won't be visible until they come through," Strange replied. "By  
Ammorath's Eye, the amount of power being used. It's hideous."

"So you can't keep it open if they close it?" Fury asked.

Strange laughed with grim humor. "I didn't say that. They're using  
that much power because they're clumsy. This will be too easy."

"That's what Custer said."

* * * *

Magnetite led the youma onto the ship's deck and stood there, hands  
on her hips. The crew stared at her, and she stared back, tasting  
their fear. 'That's right, bitches,' she thought. 'Your asses are mine.'

"They're not afraid," someone called out. "Now turn around and bend  
over so I can talk to you face to face."

Magentite was floored as not only was she and her youma suddenly  
facing a veritable sea of guns, all pointed at her, but Sailor Moon,  
Sailor Jupiter, and Spiderwoman were standing in the middle of the  
sea of guns.

"S-Sailor Moon?" Magentite said, mouth agape. "But . . . you . . .  
the mall . . . how?"

"It was a pretty good plan," Sailor Moon said. "I have to admit, you  
had us fooled."

Magnetite forced her emotions under control. "So, Sailor Moon, amaze  
me. How did you figure it out?"

"I didn't. Sailor Jupiter did."

"And your being here with all these soldiers?" Magnetite said through  
gritted teeth as she realized that it was all falling apart."

"I made a few friends who knew some people," Sailor Moon said as she  
was joined by a gigantic green man in black clothing and a man in a  
red high collared cape that was fastened with an amulet in the shape  
of a glowing eye. "Greenskin here is Bruce Banner, inventor of the  
gamma bomb, and the other guy is Stephen Strange, who wields the Eye  
of Agamotto. What does that make you again, Doc?"

"The Sorcerer Supreme of the Earth Dimension, Master of Mystic Arts,  
and Gatekeeper of the Vishanti Realms, among others," Strange  
supplied with a grandiose bow.

"Booyah," Sailor Moon said. "Now, would you like to fight us, or run?"

'Retreat you fool!' Beryl's voice echoed in Magnetite's mind. "You  
can not hope to stand against the Sorcerer Supreme! RETREAT! Close  
the portal!"

Magnetite did as she was told, but Strange had already shifted the  
portal's power source to his control. She only managed to move the  
Dark Kingdom side of it away from the palace.

"Ladies first," he said to Sailor Moon.

"All right!"

* * * *

"You fool. You idiot." With each word came agony too great to  
describe. Beryl collapsed to the floor of her throne room, smoke  
rising from her skin as Metallia berated her, flaying her with pain  
as she spoke.

"Not only has your grand scheme for dealing with Sailor Moon been  
broken, but the Sorcerer Supreme is aware of us! How much more clumsy  
can you possibly be?"

"Please, Mistress," Beryl moaned. "Please."

A fresh jolt of agony seared through her. "Sailor Moon and the  
Sorcerer Supreme are in the Dark Kingdom!" Metallia shouted. "The  
only thing worse then this is if the Moon Princess showed up wielding  
the Silver Crystal! And that would just be one more example of your  
incompetence!"

"Mistress, please, does not having Sailor Moon here mean that we have  
the advantage?"

"Yes . . . yes, this could be a good thing after all." A feeling of  
revitalization flowed through Beryl and she got to her knees. "If  
Sailor Moon came here, to the palace, she would be in our power. Can  
it be done?"

A smile twisted Beryl's lips. "Easily, Mistress, her personal hatred  
for me overrides her common sense without fail. I will use myself as  
bait and lure her here. Then I will imprison her in one of the black  
crystals and use her power to complete the Onslaught."

"Do not fail me, Beryl. Even if Sailor Moon should somehow strike a  
fatal blow, I will not let you die."

"I live to obey you, my Mistress," Beryl said, bowing her head.

"See that you do," Metallia replied and withdrew.

Beryl stood up and inhaled deeply. "To, me, my generals. Kenji,  
Franklin, come to the Throne Room immediately. We have plans to make.  
All Youma, secure the palace. We are about to have company."

* * * *

"Holy Shit," Sailor Jupiter said as she gazed over the Dark Kingdom.

It was like staring at a rocky desert. The portal had deposited them  
in a sort of outpost. A single square building on a flat stretch of  
stone. Nearby, a five car vehicle sat on the stone. It reminded  
Jupiter of a bullet train without wheels.

She returned to looking at the desert. There were a few trees, thin,  
with black bark. The sand was purple, the rocks a dull gray. The sky  
was black as night, but no stars and a ringed planet peeked up over  
distant mountains. At the base of those mountains, Jupiter could make  
out the glittering lights of a city.

"Building's deserted and empty," Fury said, joining her. "Probably a  
supply depot from the looks of things." He jerked his thumb at the  
"train".  "Near as Banner can figure, that thing is some kind of  
flying train. Plenty of room for us and my boys and girls have just  
about finished transferring the stuff we brought through the portal."

"Great," Jupiter muttered. "Does this place give anyone else the  
creeps or is it just me?"

Sailor Moon and Spiderwoman joined them, followed by Banner and Strange.

"Freaky," Banner observed.

"Fairly standard for another dimension," Strange said. "Nicholas, we  
have a problem. The portal will close unless I am here to maintain  
it. I cannot join the assault and we are not alone out here either.  
It is nothing to be concerned about, at least for me, but your men  
are not so well protected."

"Options?" Fury growled, flicking his cigar away.

"We take the train," Sailor Moon said and darted for the vehicle.

By the time they caught up with her, she was in the cab, flicking  
switches and pressing buttons, with no results. Here and there, a  
light came on, but otherwise, nothing.

"Piece of crap!" Sailor Moon snarled, kicking a wall. With a sub- 
harmonic hum, the controls lit up. "Or not." She sat in the cab's  
only seat and began flicking switches. The hum became a whine and the  
floor shook slightly.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" Banner demanded.

"Nope!" Sailor Moon replied cheerfully.

"What a shock."

"Look," Sailor Moon said. "Strange said he had to stay here. He  
didn't say anything about the rest of us, and he sure as hell didn't  
say anything about me."

"Only out of politeness, I assure you," Strange's tone of voice was  
dry. "Nicholas, I will pass the word to your people to board the  
train immediately. Once you leave, I will try and move the portal to  
someplace in Tokyo proper. Good luck." With that, he left.

Fury muttered something under his breath and left the cab as well.

"Sailor Moon, maybe you should let Banner drive," Jupiter suggested.  
"You've never even had lessons."

"I've watched movies, how hard can it be?"

Jupiter and Banner's eyes met and they knew they were thinking the  
same thing;

Famous Last Words . . .


Author's Note: I realize that Banner's explanation of quakes and such  
isn't totally accurate. Go with it. He's totally off the mark about  
the bomb anyway.

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