Disclaimer: Decade belongs to the writers and to Toei. I'm just totally in love with the characters.
Author's Note: Two chapters this week, because the first one's rather short. Hope someone enjoys!
Part Three: Born
She keeps shaking even after he lets her go, and she hates herself for that. There are too many important things she needs to do for her to waste time shuddering in terror, her mind running over every horrible possibility it can find.
There're enough terrible things happening right in front of her, anyway. No need for imagination.
Kivala's gone, and she hopes the little bat found somewhere safe to recover from whatever the kaijin had been doing to them, but she can't take the time right now to go find her. Tsukasa's bleeding and Yuusuke's screaming.
Yuusuke's changing, the Kuuga armor darkening to a deep, velvety black. She's seen him use his black armor before—or seen others use it for him, force it on him—but there's something different about it this time. Something more vivid, more alive, more frightening.
She's halfway there when Yuusuke finally stops screaming and falls to his knees, the Kuuga armor dissolving back into his skin. He still has his right hand latched onto the Grongi's arm, but the woman doesn't move to strike him. Just seems content to watch him, and her expression is hungry, hopeful, a dozen other emotions that only serve to quicken Natsumi's heartrate.
"Yuusuke!" Her feet skid on blood, among other things, and she tries hard not to think about what those other things are. Once she's sure he's safe they can deal with the fact that Yuusuke just slaughtered people… and the fact that she doesn't care, her entire being focused on the two Riders in front of her. "Yuusuke, look at me."
Raising his head slowly, he blinks at her a few times before smiling. It's Yuusuke's smile but not Yuusuke's eyes, and it takes all of her control not to retreat from that look. No iris, no pupil, no white, just black, dark pits staring at her.
"Natsumi." He stands, and if she wasn't looking at his eyes she wouldn't know anything was wrong. He still moves like Yuusuke, deliberate and sure but with a fighter's grace. And that smile, Yuusuke's smile, so pleased and open and honest… she wants to believe it's still him as he releases his hold on the Grongi and reaches for her. Wants to run into his arms, and believe everything's going to be all right, but there's nothing of her Yuusuke in the hungry depths of those eyes.
Dodging around Yuusuke's hand, she grabs an iron bar from the ground. It's heavy, without Kivala's armor and the strength that comes with it, but she should still be able to wield it decently for a few minutes. Pointing the tip at the Grongi's head, she stands her ground. "Let him go."
"I wouldn't dream of trying to influence him now, Linto." The Grongi's eyes trace Yuusuke again, her lips parting in a small, pleased smile. "Not now that he is what he was meant to be."
Even though she's watching for it, she barely sees him move. Her muscles still react like they've been trained to, swinging her makeshift weapon as hard as she can at his head, and it's as much that as his hand closing on her wrist that makes her drop it. She doesn't want to hurt Yuusuke. Not that badly, no matter how likely he is to heal.
"It's me, Natsumi." His skin is hot against hers, his whole body burning, and she can feel the heat through his clothing as he presses close to her. Left hand rising to push hair from her face, he keeps his right hand latched in a vice grip on her left wrist. She doesn't want to look into his eyes but can't look away. "It's all me. Just better. And I want you."
The smell of flowers though it should be blood, the gentle lap of water though there is no water near here, a sky of perfect, wonderful blue, and he's going to kiss her.
Fire coursing against her, darkness rushing from him to her, and he's trying to change her. He's trying to infect her with the thing that stares from his eyes, but that one isn't meant for him. The one who rides the tiger, the one who is the tiger, the one who wields sword and staff and teeth with equal equanimity, she belongs to the fire, and the fire isn't meant for him. This thing before her, this amalgam, is wrong.
Her knee catches him hard in the crotch, surprises him, as does the fist to the gut. Targeted, carefully targeted, and her fingers go numb as they crash against the amadam but it's worth it. Worth it to get him off her, the thing that was Yuusuke flinging her away with inhuman strength in an instinctive attempt to protect the Grongi artifact.
Stumbling back to her feet, she turns to face him again just in time to watch Tsukasa's fist connect with Yuusuke's jaw.
XXX
He burns.
His chest most of all, but that's hardly the only part. Fire plays in his blood, flows through all his veins, and he doesn't like that. Doesn't like it at all, just like he doesn't like Yuusuke threatening Natsumi. He can't do anything about the fire, but he can do something about Yuusuke.
The other Rider stumbles back from the blow, his lip splitting open, spilling a single drop of crimson blood, and sealing closed again within moments. It's impressive. It's also not something Yuusuke should be able to do, but it's obviously not just Yuusuke in his body right now.
Yuusuke stays frozen for a handful of seconds, studying the ground, arms wrapped around himself. Protecting himself, almost, like in his nightmares. "Don't do things like that, Tsukasa. Natsumi. Please."
Tsukasa. He shouldn't be surprised at the name. It's one of the few things he's always known. When he could remember nothing else, he remembered his own name. So why does it feel so foreign now?
Yuusuke straightens abruptly, grins, stretching his hands up above his head before letting them fall to his side. "Don't worry, Tsukasa. I'm not really mad. And I wouldn't leave you alone. I want you, too."
"I'm not for sale." His tongue is sluggish in his mouth, but talking makes him feel better. Soothes the feel of fire in his blood, pushes away things that he knows aren't true—the tiger that stands at his side is Natsumi, crouched and ready but still very human; there are no clouds in the sky, and there is no drum beating in time to his heart. "Not for rent, either. Neither is Natsumi. Neither is Yuusuke for that matter. So get out."
"This is me, Tsukasa." Yuusuke takes a step toward them, expression grave, and if not for those hungry, empty eyes this thing would look just like him. "No one else. Just me and Kuuga, doing what we were meant to do."
"And what are you meant to do?" As long as Yuusuke's talking, he's not attacking them.
"Protect." The answer is automatic, and Yuusuke frowns, studying the ground at his feet. "No. Not protect. Not preserve. Well… maybe." He grins. "Preserve my people. A whole race waiting to be born, Tsukasa. Waiting on me. Why'd I fight it so hard before?"
"Because wherever Grongi go, people die." Natsumi has her hand on his shoulder, and tear streaks mar the dust on her cheeks, but her voice is firm as she stares at Yuusuke. "And Yuusuke never wanted anyone to suffer."
"Which is silly." The grin fades from his face, those black eyes again taking precedence. "Linto have to die. Thin the herd so the strongest can live. Can become us. Besides, it's fun. Death… destruction… it's the ultimate game. The best game. You'll understand soon enough."
He goes for DecaDriver a split second before Yuusuke leaps for them. Not early enough, not with the way Yuusuke moves now, not with how weak he feels. Yuusuke's open hand connects with DecaDriver, the force of the casual blow enough to make his hand go numb. He can use the momentum of the attack, though, knock Yuusuke off balance, try to scramble after DecaDriver.
Except Yuusuke refuses to let him go, bringing them both down to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs. The man's arms lock around him, a too-tight hug, and he can't look away from those black, empty eyes.
He doesn't notice the influx of power at first. It finds too much to resonate with in him, crawling into the deepest recesses of his psyche, reminding him that he is the victor. He knows how to kill, methodically, viciously, using every advantage he has.
He could be a good Grongi.
Except the darkness wants fire where he turns to ice. Wants joy and celebration and reveling in destruction, where he goes cold as the arctic. Killing to survive he can do, has done, hopes he'll never have to do again; enjoying it is another matter entirely.
There is fire to answer its call, though. Fire still dancing through all his arteries, rushing through him with every beat of his heart, and it hates this thing that wears Yuusuke's face. Hates the usurper, hates the way everything is being twisted, turned 'round, and he will not be tamed in this manner. He will not be subjugated to this… thing.
It's Natsumi, in Kivala's armor, who puts the sword through Yuusuke's back.
Tsukasa's fairly certain it's him that sets the man on fire, though he doesn't know how. He doesn't waste time trying to figure it out, either, instead getting away as quickly as he can, grabbing DecaDriver as he clambers to his feet.
Yuusuke doesn't burn. He screams, swiping at the fire, snarling in bestial rage, and the black of Kuuga's armor flickers around him before fading with the flames. The Grongi woman helps him with the sword, movements quick and practiced.
Tsukasa uses the spare seconds of Yuusuke healing completely from what should be near-fatal injuries to get Decade on, falling in at Natsumi's side.
"I…" Yuusuke takes a step toward them, right arm held against his chest still where the sword had gone through. His words are harsh, his expression pure fury. "You…"
Tsukasa watches quietly, finger on the trigger of Decade's gun. Natsumi crouches beside him, ready for whatever attack comes next.
"I…" Eyes closed, Yuusuke takes a slow, deliberate step back. "Please. I need you."
"No. You can't have us." His tone is softer than he really intended it to be, but this might actually be Yuusuke they're talking to. He doesn't let his finger relax on the trigger, though it wants to, seeing Yuusuke there, looking perfectly normal. "We'd like our Kuuga back."
"You can't understand." Yuusuke shakes his head and smiles, eyes opening. His tone mixes sorrow, disappointment and Yuusuke's headstrong determination so well it hurts. "That's all right. I can come back for you. Maybe you'll understand then, after I've done the rest."
The bridge between worlds that Yuusuke creates is small, barely large enough for him and the Grongi. He gives a hasty thumbs up and a bright smile as he pulls her through, shutting it quickly behind him. Natsumi's fingers close on thin air a second after the bridge fades.
Which might be for the best, as the fire that had been roaring through Tsukasa's veins finally fades, taking consciousness with it.