Assassin's Tango
Chapter 10
But, before she is able to answer, the doors burst open and a blood dripping Setsuna erupts into the room. Her clothes are torn in some places and a dark bruise is forming on her cheek, but she seems to ignore it all. Her voice is breathless when she speaks. "There has been a problem. We need to leave Neptune quickly."
A few moments pass by in stunned silence, all eyes fixed on the newly arrived woman who looks about ready to pass out. You react first, quickly moving to her side and steadying her, moving to the chair where Usagi and Mamoru are sitting. "Up." You say in a harsh voice and they scramble up, allowing you to sit her down. "Are you hurt, Setsuna?"
Her red eyes fix on you and she frowns. "I bet I must be quite a sight Haruka, but I can assure you that none of this blood is my own."
You smile faintly in amusement – only this woman would take offense in genuine concern in such a situation. But you are still worried, so you turn to the blonde girl, frowning internally at the pale tone of her skin. "Can you get me water?" she nods and hurries out of the room, dragging Mamoru along with her, and you turn your attention back to your friend, hands moving to her shirt with the intent to pull it off. "Help me here, Setsuna."
"I'm flattered Haruka, but not right now." You frown in response, not finding the situation or her apparent way of lighting it up amusing, still very much aware of Michiru's presence lurking behind you. "Relax a bit. I'm fine."
"I've known you for long enough to know that I shouldn't take your word in these affairs." You say firmly. "Now hurry up and help me before those two come back."
She sighs in defeat and shifts forward slightly with utmost care that reveals to you that she was indeed lying about her state. "Why the worry?" she asks while raising her arms.
"Didn't you see the look on Usagi's face? She looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown from seeing you." A shadow of distress crosses Setsuna's features briefly and you arch an eyebrow. "You're close with her, I take it?"
"Something like that." She hisses as the fabric slips by her skin. "Don't underestimate her. She's more than you think she is. She's stronger than she looks."
"Even the strongest people have a breaking point." You retort, carefully pulling it up the last few inches. "Ah, shit Setsuna." You whisper once she is free of the shirt, quickly balling it up and pressing it against her stomach. "Look at this mess… What was this? A sword?"
She shrugs, cringing away from the pressure you are making to stop the bleeding. "I don't know. I couldn't see. But I think I have something lodged in there."
"Yeah it seems so." You're going to need more than water to take care of her. You need your hands free. "Michiru." You turn to her, jumping slightly when you see that she's already next to you, gazing down at Setsuna with a mix of worry and curiosity. "Can you keep pressure on her wound for a few moments?"
"Of course, Tenoh." She drops to her knees and assumes your position, not showing any disgust once her skin comes in contact with blood, just as you'd expected.
"Hello. I'm Setsuna." The green haired woman groans out in an effort of lighting up the heavy mood, a small twitch of her lips signifying her failed attempt at smiling.
A frown settles on Michiru's face as she slowly raises her eyes to meet Setsuna's. A few moments pass by in silence, and the seriousness with which the artist is facing the other woman unsettles you. "Yes." She nods, gaze cold. "I know who you are."
The shine of comprehension on red eyes lets you know that there is a deeper meaning to the former Princess's words. "I see." She answers, leaning back slightly in apprehension. Setsuna is incredibly uncomfortable. You don't recall ever seeing her like this.
"Are you going to just stand there, Tenoh, gawking at us?" Michiru questions in a rather sarcastic tone, waking you from your daze while watching them.
You shake your head and turn to the door, following Usagi and Mamoru's movements from earlier. "No."
It takes you a while to find them, the awareness that every passing second may cost Setsuna her life weighting you down. They're in some sort of a kitchen, Usagi's face hidden in Mamoru's chest, who has his face hidden in her hair. A spark of anger lights on you but it quickly dies down once you notice the broken glass on the floor and the irregular movement of the girl's shoulders.
Apparently, she is not as aloof as she tries to seem – but that you already knew.
You clear you throat, stopping in the threshold. "I'm sorry to interrupt but I need some things other than the water I asked for."
They quickly fly apart, and the trail of tears on both their faces has you surprised. She sniffles, one of her hands raising to wipe away her tears and using the movement to hide her face from you. "What do you need?"
"A knife, water, bandages or some piece of cloth and something that is strong on alcohol, really strong."
Her eyes widen in alarm, probably guessing what you are going to do. "Is it bad?"
Yes and no, you think. It all depends on how fast you help her and on the extent of her wound. But strangely enough you don't want to worry her, so you shrug. "Could be worse."
You expect her to contest and press on but she doesn't, nodding instead. You think that she's probably thankful for this small illusion – the possibility of her maybe not realizing what you're doing doesn't cross your mind once. "We will bring it to you in a few moments."
"Needless to say that the sooner the better, I hope." And with that you leave, moving back to the room where the other two women are, still in the same positions they were in when you left them. If possible, they seem tenser.
"How are you feeling, Setsuna?" you move to kneel next to them, making no move whatsoever to take Michiru's spot.
"I've seen better days." She answers in a rather weak voice.
"I bet you have." You pass a hand in her forehead, checking to see her temperature while pretending to be simply wiping her hair from the sweaty skin. She doesn't have a fever, thankfully. "You'll be fine."
"Of course."
"We just can't let you heal over that thing." You continue and she nods, knowing what that meant and giving you permission. You turn back as Usagi and Mamoru walk inside, carrying what you asked for. You take hold of the bottle with the alcohol and the knife and dump a good share of the liquid on the blade, making sure that no part is left dry, before looking at the three of them. "Thanks for the help, but I think it'd be best if you left now."
"But…" the man says but a single glance is enough to quiet him. You pass Setsuna the bottle, knowing that it's something that she can drink, while making sure that the bandages are in your reach, hearing the door close as the couple leaves the room.
"You can leave too." You whisper to Michiru, who had not budged from her place.
"I do not want to." She retorts, eyes fixing on yours while her hands grip the fabric in a firmer way. "And you cannot make me leave, Tenoh."
"There will be blood. A lot of it. And I'll probably scream too… Scream as if she's slowly killing me. It won't be pretty." The red eyed woman says, alerting her to what is about to happen.
"I know."
"And you still want to stay?"
"Yes." She nods, no sign of hesitance in her tone.
So you nod as well, yanking the bottle from Setsuna's hands as she moves to take another swig, chuckling slightly. "That's enough for you. Don't want you too drunk for this, Setsuna."
"Easy for you to say, Haruka. You won't be the one having their gut cut open and scrambled with." She grits her teeth as you lift her shirt, pouring some of the water and alcohol on her wound to clean it off.
"Here." You rip a small part of the bandages. "Bite."
After she does, you yourself take a swig from the bottle and pass it to Michiru, tightening your grip on the handle of the knife, needing to have both of your hands free. Surprisingly, the woman takes a drink too before tossing it aside, not looking at all affected by the considerable burn caused by the drink as it slid down her throat.
Your eyes widen and so do Setsuna's, while a pained chuckle escapes her. "Who would've guessed?"
You allow a few moments to pass by before turning to the former Princess fully. "I'm going to have to open her injury a bit, since it's already partly healed as you can tell. It may seem strange that she's in this state already but you see, both of us have this accelerated capability of healing so-"
"I understand." She cuts you off. "I too am a very fast healer."
You smile, masking your shock at that – out of everyone you know, only you and Setsuna can heal the way you do. But, it's something for you to think of later. So you near the knife to Setsuna's stomach and slowly make pressure. "Let's start then."
The air has never seemed fresher than it does in this moment as you take in a lungful of it, trying to clear your mind. Setsuna's pain filled screams and her sweaty face as you worked to take off the small piece of metal that was lodged in her insides had yet to leave your mind. You know it was necessary, especially since the damned thing was poisoned, but you can't shake off the slight feeling of guilt at having had to hurt her further than she already was. You'd left her in the same position inside after tying the knots on the bandages, asking Michiru to care for her while you went to ask the other two for the antidote – you couldn't risk doing it yourself. But neither could Mamoru or Usagi apparently, since she was well known around the solar system and him because he had last been seen with you and there might be rumors about him being allied with you.
It was moments like these that you wished that you had killed Iwao.
But that wish disappeared as soon as it came to be. He was a good man and his reaction was understandable. Maybe you would react the same way, with the slight difference that you would check to see if your protégée's daughter was well before striking the murderer.
So, Usagi had sent someone to go fetch the herbs you asked for and you had taken the moment to slip away for a few moments alone while waiting for it. It's cold outside and you shiver as you stand stiffly, ignoring it to the best of your abilities. Setsuna's words run rampant in your mind – what did she mean with you needing to leave Neptune? Something bad must have happened, something really bad considering her state. But what? Could they have found her office? Could they have found proof of her connection with the murders? Could they have tracked her to you?
"What are you doing here alone?" says a soft voice from behind you. "Are you not cold?"
"I am." You nod, not turning to face her. "But… I need it right now."
"You need to feel cold?"
"Yeah. Strange as it sounds, Michiru, I like the cold. It makes it easier to just, just, I don't know… focus on things or not focus on them." You reply, turning your face to her as she comes to stand next to you.
"I understand." She whispers.
Do you? you want to ask, but you swallow down the question before it manages to escape your lips. You don't want to start a discussion out of such a trivial affair and it is rather nice to think that there might be someone who understands you. "Why are you standing here? Are you not cold?"
She smiles, a real smile unlike those that she uses when there are other people around, that smile that you have seemingly only seen directed at yourself. "I am. But like I said, I understand. There were many nights that I spent in my balcony, gazing down at Neptune and shivering madly, trying to anticipate what would be of my life."
"Well? Is it what you thought it'd be?"
"Far from it." She chuckles, eyes roaming your face for a few moments before moving to fix on the sun, hidden by dark clouds – it will most probably rain later in the day. A few moments pass undisturbed in a peaceful silence before she sighs. "Is Setsuna going to be alright?"
She's not looking for reassurance, unlike Usagi and Mamoru who had looked at you hopefully once you got out of the room. She wants the truth and you can't deny her, not after having seen her actions with your oldest friend during her moments of pain. "I honestly don't know." You say hesitantly, not wanting to acknowledge the situation. "If it was just the stab wound, there would be no doubt in my mind that she'd be fine. But the poison…" you shake your head "She's really frail right now, you know? I've never seen her like this. I've never had to consider seeing Setsuna like that. I'm worried about her. Really worried. And I don't like the feeling."
"Tenoh…" she whispers, shuffling closer to you. "It is not your fault."
You move away and frown at her. "Isn't it? How can you be sure?"
"I am not sure. But it is better to think it is not than to assume that it is. Things happen that are not under our control so there is no point in assuming that they are. Stop worrying yourself with that and focus on giving your best to have her well." She says firmly, hand clenching your arm to turn you to face her and eyes burning in fierce determination.
You gaze back with the same intensity before sighing. "Thank you." You whisper. You needed to hear that and you know that she understood.
She nods. "It is alright, Tenoh."
"Why are you calling me that?" you ask, realizing that ever since she woke up she hasn't called you Haruka once, keeping a cold edge on her voice whenever speaking to you, almost as if trying to put up a barrier between. Deep down you know that it's understandable since she learnt what you were going to do but at the same time you find yourself rebelling against it.
"Calling you what?" she frowns.
"Tenoh. You've always called me Haruka."
Michiru breathes in deeply. "How can I know that is your real name?"
"What makes you think it isn't?" you counter, grabbing her hand when she moves to pull away.
"Everything else you have told me is a lie. Why would your name be any different?" she looks away, posture tense and trying to shrug away from you.
"My name" you start, pulling her to you until your body is flush against hers, a gasp of surprise escaping her. "Is Haruka." You grasp her chin firmly, but not hurting her, tipping her face up so your eyes connect with hers. "And none of what I've said to you, none of it, is a lie."
She scoffs. "Then you are a bodyguard? You protected Princess Serenity and countless others?"
"I never said I was! I never said I did!" you exhale loudly. "That was all Usagi's doing so I would be able to get into the Palace to do as she asked! But, during the past five months, yes Michiru, I was a bodyguard. Your bodyguard." She shakes her head in denial but you press onward. "Yes, I was! Has harm ever befallen you while you were under my protection? And the one time that I wasn't able to stop it, that one time with that bastard Kenichi, did I not save you before things got out of hand? Didn't he show up dead the day after?"
"You did that?" she asks, eyes widening.
"I didn't kill him, no. Not because I didn't want to, but because he died before I got the chance. But I did have the pleasure of having my hands on him before he took his last breath." She doesn't need to know all of it, for her own safety. "I have never lied to you. I might have hidden things from you, I may hide thing from you now, but that is out of utmost necessity, because it might endanger you further. Every time that I knew I would have to lie to you, I didn't open my mouth instead. "
"How can I know that you are not lying now?"
"You can't. You will simply have to trust me."
"Why should I trust you?" she asks, finally managing to twist away from you, stumbling back a few steps from her impulse.
"Because I care for you!" you raise your voice slightly, throwing your hands up in the air, the truth that you had tried to deny since you two met coming out. "That's why your dead body isn't lying cold on the floor of your mother's office! Not just because there was no need for it, not because I found no guilt in you despite having being told that would be for the best. And because of that I spent months fighting with myself because of what I had to do! Because of that I was unsure whether I would be able to do it! No! I knew I wouldn't be able to do it." You tangle your fingers in your hair in frustration. "I have never grown attached to a target before. You have no idea how confused this makes me. It goes against everything that I know."
"You care for me?" she asks in a small voice, hands clenching the fabric of her dress – the heavy one she had worn since the party.
"Yes, Michiru." Your voice is nothing but a whisper. You feel drained after your revelation. "I care for you."
She moves forward quickly and before you know it, she's in your arms, face buried in your shoulder and her grip on you tight. "I am glad, Haruka."
You've never been happier to hear your name from her lips.
But you know that there is still much more to be said between you, much more that you need to explain before she manages to trust you completely like she did once.
Thankfully enough, it had not taken much time before a man had arrived with the herbs that you needed. Setsuna had fallen asleep a while ago, her skin still extremely pale compared to its usual tone and her temperature higher than normal, and you nearly felt sorry for waking her up. Nearly. Kneeling next to her, you gently shake her awake, holding the warm cup that contained the infusion you had made with the herbs in your hand. It did not have a pleasant smell and you knew by experience that it tasted like something left to rot for years. But it would help her.
Her eyes open slowly after a few seconds, a groan escaping her as she tries to sit up, the slowly healing wound paining her. You quickly put a hand on her shoulder and help her up a bit, not wanting to provoke another bleeding and knowing that telling her to lie down would be hopeless. It takes a while for her to fully awake, eyes slightly unfocused when they fix on you, quickly moving to the cup that you approach to her. Her lips curl in distaste but she doesn't protest as you put it near them, tilting the vase until the liquid falls into her reluctantly opened mouth.
A few drinks after, she pushes the cup away while turning her head at the same time, looking completely repulsed and nauseated. She visibly tries to hold the drink down, one hand pressing against her stomach while taking in deep, measured breaths through her nose, and you smile in sympathy. "Fuck, that tastes like shit!" she says in a feeble voice once she is more composed while chuckles come from behind you from Usagi and Mamoru. The situation is not particularly funny but you guess that it's out of relieve that they laugh.
"Yes it does." You nod in agreement.
"That may be," Michiru says while moving to stand next to you "But you already look better." And it's true. She's starting to regain her normal color and is not as warm as she was, sure signs of the quick healing action of the herbs.
"Well then, if that is the case…" Setsuna sits up fully, swatting your hand away as you try to help. Curiously enough, she doesn't do a thing when Michiru tries it. You frown, shaking your head in disbelief, but you don't say a thing. "As I said earlier, we need to leave the Planet. We have already wasted enough time here with this whole ordeal."
There is a flurry of motion as Usagi and Mamoru move to get out of the room, no doubt to start readying to leave as your friend says, but you hold her down once she tries to do the same. "We're not going anywhere until you tell me what happened."
"Haruka, now is not the time to-"
"I do not care if it's the time or not. I want to know. And you," you move closer to Setsuna "You will tell me."
"Can't you wait for a while, Haruka?" she asks in a harsh voice, but it doesn't have the impact that it usually has on you.
"No." you rise to your full height, looking down at her. "And the more time you take to tell me, the more time is wasted here. You know what I am like, Setsuna. You know I won't let this pass. So start talking."
She sighs. "Fine. Help me and I will tell you as we move. Time is of essence right now. We can't afford losing any more." So you do as she says, Michiru helping you support her weight, following the others as she starts explaining. "I had just gotten to the pub and was starting to read the new proposals and assignments, trying to decide if there was any that was worth it. Nothing seemed amiss outside, though it was quieter than usual. I had considered not going to the pub since I knew what you were going to do but I had this feeling that is should go. The bartender didn't say anything special when I first greeted him, merely saying a greeting so I proceeded to the corridor normally."
The three of you pause by a window, a certain commotion attracting your attention. Guards were hurrying outside, running from house to house, banging on doors and forcing entry when resisted. "Shit." Setsuna mutters before raising her voice and motioning for you to move faster. "Usagi! We need to leave now!"
You're starting to feel worried. "What happened after?"
"There were voices coming from my office and papers were strewn all over the floor of the corridors." She said, voice growing stronger. "There were a few men in there."
"What did you do?" you ask.
"The only thing possible: I caught a torch and threw it at my liquor cabinet, effectively lighting up my whole office. I tried to escape, but a tall man with slightly crazed eyes and a fresh scar on his cheek caught me and pushed me against a wall." Your eyes widen as you realize who it must be. "He said his name, Iwao, and asked me if I knew you. I of course denied it but he didn't believe me and started choking me." She pauses and scoffs. "As if that would make me tell him the truth. Idiot. But once I managed to hit him and tried to run, he stabbed me with that thing and asked me to tell you that he would get you for what he did. You really excel at making friends, don't you Haruka?"
You are now following Usagi as she leads you through a corridor and down a few flights of stairs to the best of your abilities. You chuckle, now really regretting not having killed him. "You know it, Setsuna. I should have killed him when I had the chance." Michiru glances at you sideways but remains silent.
"Don't worry, I did it for you. Once he turned away, I managed to knock him out and limped my way out of the pub and he remained there, on my floor to burn." Setsuna shrugs away from your grip, now managing to stand on her own, and moves to help the blonde with what she's carrying. "Where are we going, Usagi?"
"We are still debating, Setsuna. Let us wait for Mamoru." She whispers, looking back to Michiru and frowning once you stop by a big door. "Are you coming along with us, Michiru? Haruka?"
She turns to you momentarily and sighs once you nod. You already know her answer since it is the same as yours. "What other choice do we have?"
The Black Hand looks away. "I am sorry. If you want to survive, there is no other choice. The messenger we used for Setsuna's antidote said that news had traveled over Neptune that the Queen and Princess had been murdered. You cannot go back to the Palace since they will most likely accuse you of being a traitor and having had some part on your mother's death. I know that it is not the ideal situation but…"
"I understand."
Endymion then comes running down the hall, panting as he stops next to Usagi. "Soldiers have managed to enter the house. We need to go now."
"Where are we going to, Mamoru?" the blonde asks, concern and a small hint of fear shining in her eyes.
He hesitates before answering, but his voice leaves no space for questioning his decision. "I think it is time we paid your Mother a visit, Usagi."
AN
Hey guys!
Hope you liked this fast update xD! Practically a whole chapter dedicated to Setsuna there but a lot is happening he he! No, I didn't kill her! I absolutely love Setsuna and the idea of killing her now hasn't crossed my mind once – that doesn't mean that it might not happen in the future though!
So, Haruka's secret is yet to be revealed but, as you could see, there was everything crossing her mind but that. I will most likely approach that subject in the next chapter. How did you like the interaction between Haruka and Michiru? Haruka is slowly managing to open herself and it was hard for her to admit that she cares for her would-be target – hope I managed to make you realize the conflict she was going through.
Anyway, thanks for reading and for your support as I go on, as always! You guys never fail to brigthen my day!
Until next time,
LostWyrda
PS: Woohoo! Over 50 reviews! Thanks guys! You're amazing!