A lot of people complained that I went too fast in this chapter so I've spent pretty much two months rewriting a single scene that would help this go a bit slower. :sweatdrops: I have no time for FFN nowadays and I apologize! This is a chapter rewrite but I'll try and get out the next chapter ASAP. Thanks to all of you who have supported me!
War of the Worlds: Chapter Two
by samisweet
Usagi sighed, leaning back in the black leather chair of the Ice Room. Luna watched the troubled expression on her face and caught a tape recorder as Usagi threw it.
"Just listen to that," Usagi growled, her eyes narrowed in a glare. "He knew I was up there. There was no way he could have heard me; I was completely still. There's more to him than he's letting on. And I cloaked my aura! He didn't recognize it, luckily, but he felt it. And he almost caught me; can you believe it? He almost caught me!"
"Calm down," Luna snapped as she tried to hear the conversation. Her eyes widened considerably. "This is Wiseman speaking?"
"Yes. Him and some girl name Cere," the blonde spun around in her chair, thinking. "I think we found the culprits behind Relena's declaration of war. The only thing left is those superhumans. They're being used for the war; I know it."
"You're lucky, Usagi, because we've come up with the antidote," Luna smirked, tossing a large bottle of thick, clear fluid to Usagi. "Just a drop in their arms should do. They're still unconscious in their original hideout. Your break-in went unnoticed, lucky for you. Here's a set of needles, and take a tranquilizer gun in case they wake up. There are a hundred and ten of them, from your calculations. Be careful."
A strange glint was in Usagi's eyes as she caught the gun and the package of needles. "This is gonna be fun."
Break
Usagi grunted as she hoisted herself onto the roof of the building and pulled the air vent out. Just as she was about to slowly slide herself in, she tripped and fell head-first into the pipes. She almost screamed but caught herself on time and was rewarded with a gentle incline that pulled her down. She landed with a soft thud on the ceiling vent cover and looked through the small slits in the vent cover to make sure the bodies were still there. They were and the coast was clear. Usagi quietly pulled the cover out and jumped, landing on all floors in a silent manner.
The bodies were lined up on hard cots in rows of ten. There were eleven columns. Usagi sighed at the task before her and pulled out a needle and the antidote. Quickly filling it, she pushed it into the first person's arm and ejected the fluid into his blood. She moved nimbly and quickly, pulling a needle, filling it, ejecting it, throwing it out, moving on to the next person, and pulling out a new needle. Suddenly, she could hear voices coming nearer and panicked. There was absolutely nowhere that she could hide. Quickly running to one of the beds in the middle of the room, she pushed herself under the narrow margin beneath the cot. Luckily, she fit. She pressed herself to the floor.
"Did you hear anyone?" a familiar voice commented. Usagi swallowed.
"Hn," Usagi recognized the grunt at once. It was Heero and Duo.
"So, Hee-man, what do you think Dr. J wants with these freaks? I hear he's going to use them for the war on secret missions."
"Shut up," Heero commented. Usagi peeked out slightly. He was standing to the far left, looking over the superhumans. Suddenly, he seemed to have noticed something. Usagi cursed mentally, hoping that it wasn't the tiny pinpricks of blood on their arms.
"You alright, Hee-man?" Duo asked, puzzled as Heero inspected a nearby superhuman.
"Hn," was Heero's curt reply. He must have approved because he left without another thought. "Everything's secure in the Experiment Bay, Dr. J. Heero, out." Usagi sighed in relief as the Gundam Pilots left. She couldn't risk being caught by them of all people. Cloaking her aura in case they returned (so that they wouldn't recognize her), she finished the rest of the people within the next hour. It remained uneventful, thankfully, and Usagi silently celebrated, doing a little dance. Being the clumsy person she was, she knocked into a metal cot, which in turn rolled into the next one and a domino effect took place, until the last cot slammed against the wall. She closed her eyes to think as boots began to pound down the hallway. Her eyes opened and she grinned happily. She hadn't experimented with her newest gadget yet.
"Luna Pen, turn me into a medical researcher for this facility! Moon power!" Usagi whispered harshly as she held up the pink pen. Immediately, she felt her body wash with magic. Her uniform melted to a sexy white skirt that ended a few inches above her knees and a white button-up shirt that was left unbuttoned at top, revealing an eyeful of cleavage. A cord around her neck labeled her as Ms. Serena Moon, medical researcher. Her black stealth shoes turned into strappy white stilettos and her hair fell in soft blonde curls in a layered style, ending just above her shoulders. She felt her face shift to accommodate her new robust figure, her cheeks becoming padded with fat and her lips becoming fuller. The door opened just as her transformation finished.
"Who are you?" Heero demanded, pointing his gun at her head.
"Oh my," Usagi pretended to be scared, dropping her clipboard. "I-I'm Serena Moon. I'm one of th-the researcher on the team! Here, check my ID." Usagi thrust her ID into Duo's face, who had accompanied Heero.
"Heero, a girl as pretty as this couldn't possibly be an enemy," Duo gave a saucy wink and Usagi forced herself to blush prettily. "The name's Duo Maxwell. I may run, I may hide, but I never tell a lie." He bowed down and kissed the back of her hand.
"You're certainly a charmer!" Usagi giggled as girly as she possibly could and batted her eyelashes.
"What was the noise?" Heero demanded, still scrutinizing her. Obviously, scantily clad women didn't distract him. It would be difficult for her to sneak around him.
"Oh, I was just being my clumsy self. I dropped my pen, and when I bent over to pick it up, I accidentally bumped into one of the beds, which ran into the next, and you know what happens next. Silly me!" Usagi smiled sweetly as she bent over to pick up her clipboard, knowing that Duo got more than an eyeful of her suddenly full-bodied figure. She could almost hear him sigh dreamily.
"Can I have you number?" Duo could barely speak and was almost drooling.
"Sorry, sweetie, I'm taken," Usagi kissed him on the cheek, just for the sake of it. He almost fainted. "I would totally go out with a hottie like you, but I'm in love. And he's going to propose on Saturday, I just know it!"
"B-But…" Duo looked like he was about to cry.
"Let's go," Heero practically had to pull Duo away.
"I'll see you later babe!" Duo cried out as Heero shut the door behind them. Usagi rolled her eyes at Duo's stupidity and Heero's abruptness and waited a few moments in case they decided to come back.
"Luna pen, return me to normal," she was instantly back into her regular, less voluptuous self and thanked god that she didn't have such big curves. They were a complete nuisance. Usagi shot a thin cable out of her belt, which hooked onto the opened air vent. Pressing a button, the cable zipped back into its compartment and pulled her up towards the ceiling. She crawled in and closed the vent behind her before climbing up the gentle incline that she had slid down. A blast of cool wind hit her as she entered the world outside for the first time in the two and a half hours her mission had taken her. Closing the vent behind her, she leapt onto the next building and bounded from rooftop to rooftop, pulling her gloves and shoes off in the process. Shoving her mask/hat into her subspace, she pulled out her communicator.
"Luna, Bunny reporting to base, mission was a success," Usagi grinned happily as a hologram of Luna shot out of her watch, blue and slightly staticy. "There were two errors in my judgment but I managed to thwart the oh so revered Gundam Pilots."
"How?" Luna was in awe. Usagi didn't even nearly match up in stealth skills with the pilots. In fact, her stealth was completely horrible. She would have failed every mission if it weren't for her extraordinary fighting skills and her willingness to put herself in danger for the sake of others. She had learned simple magic very quickly and could use it to accommodate her, which was unheard of unless you were related to the Royal family of a planet. Multiple tests had been done and Usagi was definitely not related to any planet in any way. It was rare to have magic outside the royal line, but it had happened a few times in the past.
When Luna had first found Usagi, she'd been a grief-stricken 14 year old that was clumsy, immature, and on the borderline of annoying. She had just lost her parents. Luna had trained her in numerous forms and using special tactics, thanks to Queen Setsuna, who had sent Usagi to a timeless dimension to train accelerating for the equivalent of seven years before returning to the current one for three more years of training. Now, at the age of 17, she had matured considerably.
"The Luna Pen is my new best friend. Usagi, out," Usagi leapt off the edge of a building to meet the street below and landed perfectly on all fours before beginning her run again. She hurtled towards a bridge and pressed the button that would bring Fairy. Her jet-ski came whizzing to her and she jumped off of the bridge to land in the seat. Arriving at the dock, she tossed the keys to the current keeper and hurried inside.
"Usagi!" a familiar voice cried out to her and Usagi immediately whipped around. She bowed deeply when she was face to face with Queen Serenity.
"Good evening, Queen Serenity," Usagi straightened from her bow but was careful not to make eye contact. "How are you this evening?"
"I am doing fine," Serenity gave a peaceful and poised smile. "I will return to the Moon tomorrow, I'm afraid. I just wanted to thank you for saving our lives the other day and for everything you do. It must be a very difficult life indeed."
"It is, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Saving lives, doing missions for the benefit of the good and peace… I love every second of it," Usagi's intense blue eyes shine passionately. Serenity understood and nodded.
"What is your age? I do not remember."
"17, your highness."
"Same age as me," Serenity smiled. "I wish we could have met under different circumstances. Perhaps I would have had a chance a few years ago before I became Queen."
"Chance for what?"
"For becoming friends. I know we would have become close. We only met four months ago and I already can trust you more than some people that I've known my entire life. And trust is what I respect the most."
"Thank you, your highness," Usagi blushed and bowed slightly. "It would have been a great pleasure to become so close. But we already are friends, are we not?"
"Yes," Serenity looked out the door into the rising dawn. "I suppose we are."
"I'm sorry, your highness, but I must be going," Usagi bowed once again. "There is a mission that needs my attention. I have to report to Luna."
"I understand. Goodbye," Serenity watched the girl leave and sighed. She hated being a Queen.
Break
"Luna, I've injected everyone with the antidote," Usagi grinned as she lounged in a comfortable chair in the Ice Room. Luna shook her head.
"We need to work on your stealth skills, Usagi," Luna said seriously. "If you get caught by the Gundam Pilots, they will not be kind. You need to be able to sneak around them. Your clumsiness is getting in your way. And you need to be quicker on your feet. Your reflexes need work as well. From what you've said, you had more than enough time to catch the cot before it hit the others."
Usagi pouted, sitting upright. "Well, I can't exactly change my ways can I?"
"That's the thing Usagi," Luna narrowed her eyes. "You can change your ways. It just requires attention and thought, both of which you are currently lacking."
"If I'm so lacking, then how come I finished my mission with success?" Usagi dead-panned, her cheery eyes darkening into seriousness.
"You didn't have a 100 per cent success, Usagi! You let people know that you were there. You were almost caught," Luna snapped, eyes flashing.
"I was not almost caught! I thought quickly and managed to steer my way out of trouble. I'm not going to be perfect. I'm human, not some Lunarian like you!"
"Even if you are human, it's no excuse! You have the ability to become perfect. And it's not anyone's job but yours to make sure that you do! You're going to have to change your ways if you want to be alive when this war is over, otherwise, you won't be of any use to anyone."
"There is no war yet," Usagi's voice was strangely quiet. "So the only reason you keep me around is because I'm useful?" Luna realized the mistake in her choice of wording. She swallowed uncomfortably, but before she could say anything, Usagi spoke up. "I see. If you don't mind, I think I need to go eat breakfast. Good-bye." With that, the blonde picked herself up from the table and hurried out the door, leaving behind a shocked Luna.
Break
Relena massaged her temples in small circles with her fingers. It was beautiful outside, with the sun's rays barely peeking out of the horizon and sending splashes of gold and pink across the heavens. She, however, would be unable to enjoy it. Sighing, she sat down at her big mahogany desk, papers sprawled across the top. Taking out a pair of black-rimmed glasses, she slipped them on before starting on the various treaties, letters, and forms that would need attention. She managed to go through them for a total of 36 minutes before someone interrupted and she suppressed her anger before composing herself.
"Please come in!" she called out, taking off her glasses and placing them on the table. She had her hands folded in her lap and her legs properly crossed. Her advisor, who had been her father's advisor before her, came in. "Hello, Wiseman. How may I help you?"
"Relena," Wiseman smiled, his deformed face twisting to give him a frightening look. Relena was used to it, however, and merely nodded at him to continue. "I have received reports of deployment of the planetary troops."
"Do you have proof?" Relena asked tiredly. She didn't know what Wiseman had against her good friend and honorary sister Serenity, but she knew that he had been trying to get her to declare war on her.
"Yes, Relena," Wiseman purred. He walked around her and she swallowed uncomfortably. He seemed gleeful about something –something bad. Her senses were on high alert and suddenly, a hand came around her mouth and a piece of cloth was pressed against her nose. Relena tried to elbow him, but to no avail. He held her arms against his disfigured body with surprising strength. She made the mistake of inhaling deeply and quickly fell into an induced coma before being dragged out of her chair. All evidence of Wiseman's entrance was wiped clean and replaced with artificial proof in the matter of ten minutes.
Break
"Pilots! Pilots! Queen Relena has been kidnapped!" Wiseman cried out, hurrying as fast as he could on his twisted feet. All five pilots were immediately on their feet, their breakfast forgotten.
"Is there any evidence of who did it?" Heero asked immediately, his stoic features alit with rage. Wiseman nodded a queer sparkle to his eyes, before handing over a thick piece of paper, top quality and written on in beautiful, flowery handwriting. Heero snatched it, his eyes skimming through the paper.
To all whom it may concern,
I'm sorry, darlings, but Relena's with me. Start a war, do what you want, I don't care. She'll be safe, naturally, since we are nearly sisters, but I plan on taking over Earth and adding it to the Silver Alliance. I suppose you'd go to war and what-not, but we're prepared.
Signed,
Queen Serenity
"That bleep!" Wufei cursed loudly, reading it over Heero's shoulder. "Dishonorable little woman!"
"Relena could be anywhere," Duo said, serious for once. "She could be on any of the planets, on earth, or the moon."
"Do a thorough check of Relena's room and look for all signs of evidence. 03 check outside for forced break-ins and any DNA you can find. 05, 02, and I will check through the room. 05, you go ask the guards about any suspicious activity," Heero commanded and all five immediately went into action.
Break
Usagi sat on the bar, enjoying her egg omelet, bacon, biscuit, and orange juice. The small diner was empty, other than a tired man in a booth, and she was happy to be one of the first customers. Even though it was small, it served some of the best food out there. She inhaled the scent of the scrumptious food before digging in, finishing it in a record-breaking 30 seconds. The chef laughed loudly, happy to have found someone that enjoyed his food so much.
"Well, Usagi, would you like seconds?" Andrew asked, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth. Usagi grinned and nodded, holding out her plate so that Andrew could dump another pile of food into it. "Where does it all go?" he asked in amazement as she wolfed it down.
"I'm a growing girl; I need my food!" Usagi beamed at Andrew, a dazzling smile brightening her features. Andrew, for some reason incomprehensible to Usagi, blushed. Suddenly, she felt a recognizable vibration against her wrist and immediately deposited the needed money for her breakfast before hopping off of the stool. "Sorry, sweetie, but I really need to go. Bye and thanks for breakfast!" she kissed his cheek before running out of the diner. Making sure that no eyes were watching her, she pressed a button on her watch, which induced a staticy hologram of Luna. "Bunny in, what's the situation?"
"Report to base immediately, we have a 419, I repeat, we have a 419," Luna's face was serious and held no trace of the morning's arguments.
"Right," Usagi nodded, wondering who in the world it had been that had gotten kidnapped. Realization struck her immediately. Wiseman had kidnapped Relena. "Shit!" she cursed loudly, kicking off into a sprint too fast for an average person to even reach, let alone withhold. She had barely broken a sweat when she reached the base, only a little over a mile away. She headed straight for the elevators and went down to the basement, her feet padding the familiar carpet. Bursting into the Ice Room, she took a seat. "Relena's been kidnapped, hasn't she?" She wasted no time going to her point.
"I'm afraid so," Luna nodded. "This means war. They had a forged note, and from what our intelligence could acquire, it framed Queen Serenity for the deed."
"Wiseman is behind it and we have good evidence," Usagi said, tossing a copy of the recording to Luna. "But the question is: how do we present it without giving away our purpose on earth?" She tapped her jaw, pondering the question. "But there's no time for that now; we need to find Relena before anything happens to her. Luna, deploy the Elemental Agents for intelligence gathering. Also, that mini-supercomputer you were talking about… I hope that's finished. From the blueprints, I have concluded that it will seriously help with finding evidence of Relena's whereabouts."
Break
Relena whimpered softly. Cloth covered her eyes and gagged her and rope bound her feet and hands. She couldn't help but allow a few tears to drip from her eyes, the blindfold soaking up the salty moisture. She had been wary of Wiseman, but trusted him all the same. He'd served her father and was the only one that survived the attack on her palace, other than her, that is. How could he betray her like this? Or maybe… it was for her own safety. Yes, she though, steeling herself. It's for my own safety. Deep inside, she knew it wasn't, but she needed to remain strong, for the sake of her country. For the sake of Serenity. For the sake of the solar system.
"Awake, are we?" a clearly feminine voice stated. The blindfold was ripped off of her eyes. Relena squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright white light of fluorescent bulbs. She kept her head up when she could see. It was Cere. She should have known.
"What do you want with me?" her voice was unwavering and firm. Cere made a sudden movement and her cheek was stinging mercilessly.
"You talk only when I ask you a question!" Cere spat furiously, her face red with rage. "I'm in charge here, Miss Queenie, and I will not be underestimated!" Her face immediately changed and she smirked. "Well, Miss Queenie, wouldn't you like to know what I want with you?" A sharp laugh erupted from her. It was dark and sent chills up Relena's spine. Relena clenched her teeth but hid it well. She needed to keep her composure. She couldn't trust the Gundam Pilots to save her, since they would be following Wiseman. She would have to save herself.
I know, I know, I've practically vanished from FFN. It's because of SOLs, finals, and IB tests. Sophomore year has been so difficult. I'm really scared for next year, when I'll be taking six IB classes! So yeah, I won't be on often until the last week of June. But don't worry! I'll try writing in my spare time. I'm actually working on a Usagi/Sirius one-shot for a challenge community thingy, so watch out for that. I won't review very often, either. I'll try my best, though, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter rewrite!