Title: Sin and Repentance
Questions? aolia_chan@hotmail.com, demeter_chan@hotmail.com
Rating: R for premeditated murder and sexual situations.
Season: Modern day Tokyo-A/U (A/R) whichever
Disclaimer: We don't own Sailormoon/ Sailor Moon or any of the characters affiliated with Sailormoon/ Sailor Moon.
Story line: Three board members of Tsukino Enterprises, Mamoru Chiba, Damian Aubigne, and Setsuna Meioh decide to terminate Kenji Tsukino and take over the company. What happens when both the men are seduced by the innocence of Kenji's daughter, Usagi Tsukino?
Notes: Thank you Ariel ^^
Notes: Ikoku does not exist. Kenji's wife (deceased) and Usagi's mother's was Serenity.
Edit: wanted to add more author's notes. This is an alternate reality in which basically all the characters are going to show up. And yes, Jade is Jadeite (who else would he be?)
*and one more thing, we cannot e-mail people everytime we release a new chapter -.-
you're going to have to check every weekend to see if we've updated or not ^^
--And Aolia wants you to review.
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The monotonous limo ride from Itami airport was taking the word boring to new heights. Usagi stared dully at the busy Osaka streets. She tilted her head and stole a meek glance at her father. He seemed to be busy on the laptop typing something, which she was sure, was quite insignificant. Sighing loudly, Usagi blew her golden bangs, trying to get his interest.
Kenji smiled silently. He had always known of his daughter's attention grabbing tactics. Pretending not to notice her, he nonchalantly kept typing on his laptop.
Usagi glared at her so called father. It was bad enough that she had to come to Osaka; now, she not only had to spend two extremely dull days in the penthouse, but she also had to put of with her workaholic father. Rolling her eyes, she went back to judging the people on the streets.
Kenji shut his laptop as the limousine came to a halt. "Usagi," he addressed his daughter unflappably, "are you done watching the traffic, or whatever else you're doing?"
Usagi frowned as she turned away from the window, embarrassed. She hadn't noticed the car stop. The smiling twinkle she saw in her father's eyes, however, changed her embarrassment to anger. So, he thought this was a joke? Glaring angrily at Kenji, she nodded. "Yes daddy, I'm done. And you are done staring at your computer screen, I see."
Kenji smiled, unable to resist any longer. "Let's go inside without fighting in front of the driver ne Usagi?"
Usagi rolled her eyes and blew her bangs again. "Sure daddy, I don't see why not."
The blatant sarcasm in her voice only brought another smile to her father's lips. She looked so much Serenity when she rolled her eyes like that. He sighed, dead memories of Serenity would serve no purpose to him now.
"Daddy, are you coming?"
Kenji shook his head as Usagi's exasperated voice interrupted his thoughts. Walking over to the glass elevator in the office building, he looked at his daughter's aloof expression. Apparently, she had chosen to ignore him just he had ignored her. "So, Usa, what happened in school?" he asked, trying to make a conversation.
So, he wanted to talk now, did he? Usagi was not going to give him the satisfaction. "I really don't want to talk about it right now, daddy," her voice sounded tired.
"You know, Shingo is doing fine in his school. He got elected as the president of his class." Kenji smiled harder as he saw her frown.
Usagi chose not to say anything. How dare he compare her to Shingo? He knew she hated it when he did that. Regressing back into trying to ignore him, she stepped inside the glass elevator.
"Is the building floor that interesting, Usa?" Kenji asked, the apparent humor in his voice, indicating his purpose.
Usagi merely nodded as she refused to look at him. She continued to ignore him until deep rumbling in her stomach reminded her of her hunger. She had had nothing to eat since… Hell, she had not eaten since breakfast!
For Usagi Tsukino, not eating for more than four hours was sacrilegious, it was profane, heck, it was heretical. Pulling on her father's arm as the elevator stopped, she looked at him demandingly. "Daddy, what about dinner, what are we going to have?" Her eyes were wide with concern, as if her question was a life or death situation.
Kenji gulped. He knew how much his daughter revered food. Absently, he hadn't thought much about food, of all things. Kenji looked at Usagi's round blue eyes, hoping his answer would satisfy her. "Usa-hime, I thought that since we haven't had a family meal for years now, why don't I make dinner?"
Usagi couldn't believe her ears. Her father? Make dinner? The last time he'd tried to do that, he'd set off a kitchen fire. Not only that, the man could not cook to save his life. Usagi would rather eat a thousand airplane meals than her father's cooking. She forced herself to breathe calmly. "Daddy, why don't we order takeout? Or we could go out to eat?"
Kenji sighed, somewhat relieved. She hadn't started wailing yet, there was still a glimmer of hope. "No, Usagi, I insist. Besides, I will probably make ramen noodles. It won't be too bad, Usagi."
Usagi skulked angrily as she walked out of the elevator into and into the apartment. This particular one was just so… drab. It was done in what her father called 'post modern' style. The interior was chrome colored. Everything from the furniture to the tapestry was metallic enough to make her eyes ache. Glaring critically at her surroundings, she made her way to the bathroom. "Daddy, I'm taking a shower," she yelled before slamming the bathroom door.
Kenji progressed into the kitchen until he heard a shrill scream come from the guest bathroom.
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Damian eyed the rickety, decrepit café stool distastefully before sighing and sitting down. His hands were nervously clenched into tight fists and the lines evident on his forehead gave away his troubled disposition. He narrowed his eyes at the filthy coffee cup, which the waitress had sloppily placed on the table.
"The coffee is not that bad is it?"
Damian looked up to see Setsuna approach him. He nodded curtly. "Do not tell me you're actually going to drink this filthy thing."
Setsuna didn't bother answering him as she sat on the stool opposite to him. "Where's Mamoru?" she asked, her magenta eyes aloof.
Damian smiled as he saw her attempts to hide her nervousness. She was so easy to read, it was actually pathetic. "Having second thoughts, Setsuna?" he asked softly. His glittering eyes were laced with resentment. He had never liked Setsuna's 'holier than thou' attitude.
Setsuna smiled, but without her eyes, her lips twisted into a smirk. "Are you, Damian?" she asked. Her eyes reflecting his resentment.
"Stop it, both of you."
Setsuna and Damian stopped their personal war as Mamoru sat down next to Setsuna. His azure eyes were slightly amused. He was dressed in a black leather jacket accompanied by black jeans. His ebony hair fell roughly against his forehead, emphasizing the indigo blaze in his eyes.
"It's eight o'clock Mamoru," Damian stated, "Is everything in order?"
Mamoru smiled, the azure in his eyes glistened dangerously. "Of course. In two hours, Kenji will call the Support through his cell phone. Since he wants to relax this weekend, he has had the phone lines disconnected. We will walk to the building approximately after ten minutes. We will be taking the stairs located at the back, the second fire escape. From what I've heard, no one uses those stairs."
"You need an activation card to enter the building, Mamoru," Damian said. His eyes intent on finding a mistake in the plan. Setsuna had been right, he was not ready to do this. "You need two cards, one for the entrance to the back, and another for the door that leads to the stairs."
Mamoru grinned, the brilliant azure in his eyes were gleaming like twin indigo spheres of fire. He reached into his black leather jacket and pulled out what looked like two credit cards. "Here," he said, placing the cards on the table.
Setsuna's eyes widened. Being Junior Board members, none of them had entrance cards to any of the buildings except for Accounts. Seizing the cards before Damian, she turned to look at Mamoru. "Where did you get these?" she asked, her eyes widening.
Mamoru's grin widened. "That, love, is none of your business…"
Damian was about to object when he was cut off by the ringing of a phone. His eyes were glued to the phone Mamoru was holding. "Mamoru, you told me Kenji would call at ten."
Mamoru ignored Damian as he curiously answered the phone. "Hello?" he said in a higher voice.
Setsuna looked intently at her fiancé as he spoke to Kenji. Her earlier efforts to hide her nervousness were of no use. Taking deep breaths, Setsuna tried controlling her shaky hands.
Damian's glittering eyes were for once, unfocused. As soon as Mamoru clicked the phone shut, he rose. "What did he want?"
The glaze in Mamoru's eyes was replaced by opaque seriousness. "Kenji called for plumbing support," he said, "maybe he decided to take his bath early today." His tone was light, as if he were telling a joke.
Setsuna gripped the decrepit wooden table to keep her hands from shaking visibly. "What are we going to do?" she asked.
Mamoru sighed, "What can we do?" A thin smile etched his lips, "we have to continue with the plan, what else?"
Damian rose from the rickety café stool. "If I may make a suggestion, Mamoru, your girlfriend is too weak. She might be a hindrance…"
Mamoru nodded, he looked at Setsuna. "I need you to get back in your car and go home right now, Sets," he said soothingly. His eyes had softened, making his appearance gentler than it actually was. Once again, Mamoru knew exactly how to handle her.
Setsuna did not meet his eyes. She had so wanted to be rid of Kenji, and do things differently in Tsukino enterprises. But apparently, she did not have the courage for this type of action. Picking up her purse from the café table, she turned around and left the café through the front exit, not bothering to look at either of the men.
Damian took in a deep breath. "Is she strong enough to handle this?" he asked, indicating Setsuna's retreating figure.
Mamoru smiled, "no," he said simply before picking up the activation cards from the table. "Should we leave?" his question was mild, he was asking a trivial question.
Damian smiled at his friend's ruthlessness. He knew there was a hidden agenda when it came to the hate Mamoru felt for Kenji, but what exactly the agenda was, Damian did not know. Nodding brusquely, he walked out of the café's front entrance.
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Usagi sat down on the bed, glaring at nothing in particular. This was not turning out to be a nice day. She shivered as she remembered the biting cold water she had had to face in the shower.
She rolled her eyes at the thought of her father making dinner in the kitchen. Letting a small smile shape her lips, she giggled softly. Would Jade consider their father making dinner a serious enough problem for her to call him?
"Now what should I do?" she spoke aloud walking aimlessly around the room. Usagi searched the guest room in order to find something interesting, at least until her father had made dinner.
A bright portrait, contrasting the dullness of the room caught her eyes. She scrutinized the family portrait, her eyes narrowing. Her father was on the far right with Jade and her standing in the middle. Her mother was situated on the far left. Usagi sighed, she could not remember much of her mother, but she still could picture her eyes sometimes. Her soft cobalt eyes were so serene, so peaceful, they defined her name so well.
Usagi's memories were interrupted by a soft thud coming from the kitchen. She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. If Jade were present, he would have told her that her eyes would be stuck that way. Sighing loudly, she opened the door and walked onto the corridor that led to the kitchen, ready to give her dad the 'I told you so' speech.
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Damian felt the adrenaline rush up his system as they climbed up the stairs.
Sensing his friend's anxiety, Mamoru smiled. "Cannot handle pressure, Damian?" he asked, his voice neutral.
Damian smiled back, though his eyes glittered treacherously. "And you can, do you even know how we are going to kill him? The earlier plan will not work."
Mamoru raised a brow at the directness of the question. "You would think that I did not come prepared?" Mamoru's sapphire eyes smiled at Damian.
Damian nearly growled. "What are we going to do, Mamoru?"
Mamoru sighed, "If you insist, I will ruin the surprise for you." Saying that, he reached into his black leather jacket and pulled out two small semi-automatic guns encased with silencers. He smiled harder upon seeing the shock in Damian's face. He handed Damian one of the guns and kept the other himself.
Damian couldn't lift his eyes off the illegal weapon in his hand. "There will be a murder investigation if they find bullets in his body, Mamoru," he had to try twice before finding his voice.
Mamoru grinned, "These guns are registered in Yamamoto's name, Damian. I know that he is in some motel room with some whore right now. Nobody knows where he is, so if the police want to convict someone, they will convict him."
Damian's dazzling eyes widened at the sheer callousness in Mamoru's eyes. His lips were slightly parted as he looked at the man, whom he classified as a friend. "Who's going to shoot him?" Damian asked.
Mamoru laughed aloud. "Too many questions, Damian," he stated. "Either you can shoot him, or I will. Or we are going to shoot him together. Logical, isn't it?"
Damian's perfectly aligned brows furrowed. Why was Mamoru not answering his questions properly?
"Well, Damian, here we are. Are you ready?" Mamoru's eyes gleamed with an eerie shade of indigo light.
Damian breathed deeply. "Yes," he said quietly and followed Mamoru to the apartment door. His eyes widened with surprise as Mamoru simply clicked the door open.
"Kenji said he would keep the door open for plumbing support," Mamoru explicated upon Damian's disclosure.
Damian mutely nodded as he followed Mamoru to the penthouse kitchen. He could hear someone cooking over there. The sight of Kenji with a cook book on one hand and a tomato on another greeted his eyes.
"Kenji-san," Mamoru said with mock reverence, smiling as the man faced him.
Kenji whirled around to face two of his Junior Board members. He recognized one as Mamoru Chiba and another as Damian something. He was about to answer when his eyes traveled to the gun Mamoru was holding. The cook book from Kenji's hand slipped and fell onto the floor with a thud.
Damian had the urge to laugh, he had never expected to see Kenji Tsukino with a cook book and a tomato. Kenji's shock eased his own nervousness a little, as he steadied his hold in the gun. His ears heard a click that came from the left corridor.
--
What happened then was too quick for any human eyes or ears to follow.
Kenji Tsukino hit the floor as a single bullet hit the left side of his chest, as Mamoru led Damian out of the apartment.
--
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Usagi screamed. The sound echoed through the apartment before hitting her ears. She couldn't seem to stop.
She had wanted to see how much her father was abusing the kitchen when she'd seen him lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
With as much speed as she could garner, Usagi ran to the kitchen phone, and dialed Jade's number. She slammed the phone when it did not work.
Thinking impulsively, Usagi grabbed her purse and ran to the elevator. She would find a payphone and call Jade immediately.
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"That was not hard, was it?"
Damian looked at Mamoru, though his eyes somewhere else. "There was someone else in the apartment," he said.
Mamoru sighed, "It doesn't matter, Damian. What matters is we got the job done. Tomorrow, the senior and junior boards will merge. We can then run Jade out of the presidency."
Damian felt some relief. Mamoru was right, with Kenji out of the game, they could run Tsukino Enterprises. "Why do you have such hate toward the Tsukino family, Mamoru?" he asked curiously.
Mamoru, however, was not paying attention to Damian. He was looking outside the Café window. Some blonde woman looked like she was trying to use the payphone, 'trying' being the key word. He nearly smiled as she slammed down the receiver.
Damian growled irritably when Mamoru did not answer his question. "Just what is it that is so interesting?" he asked. He turned around to look at what Mamoru found so amusing. He squinted his eyes as he saw the lustrous blond hair that nearly reached the ground. His eyes wide with recognition, Damian rose immediately. "That's Usagi," he said, walking, or nearly running, out of the café, toward the payphone.
Mamoru followed Damian absently. "You mean that she's the woman you were talking about earlier?" he asked. He sounded like he was restraining an enormous urge to laugh. Almost as if he knew something that Damian did not.
Damian, however, did not bother to answer him. He immediately walked across the street, regardless of the traffic sign. "Usagi!" he called, not caring if he looked like a raving lunatic.
Usagi whirled around upon hearing her name. Her eyes widened with recognition as she saw the man she had fallen onto earlier. Damian Aubigne. His white hair was flying around him, like an aura, making him look ethereal. Usagi felt some comfort at seeing a familiar face. Behind him, she saw a man with ebony hair, and unfathomable azure eyes. "Damian," she said as he reached her.
Damian looked at her tear streaked face as he opened his arms and held her. She was so warm, so perfect, so tender. "What's wrong, Usagi, who were you trying to call?" he asked.
Usagi pulled away from him, not caring enough to blush. "I have to call the police and my brother," she said. Her body shook violently as she experienced a burst of fresh new tears.
Damian stroked her hair gently. "You can use this," he said giving her his phone. He refrained from asking any questions.
Usagi took the phone, thanking him with her gracious eyes. She immediately dialed Jade's personal number. "Jade," she whispered, not quite knowing how to tell him, "I need you to come here, daddy's been shot."
Damian reeled at her words, the impact of his realization hitting him with full force.
Jade was her brother, and Kenji was her…father?
That meant, she was the second person in the penthouse. He stood there frozen, unable to say anything.
"What happened, Usagi? You are Kenji's daughter aren't you?"
Damian turned at Mamoru's voice. His attention returned to Usagi who was still hyperventilating. "Do not ask that now, Mamoru," he said, trying to gain control of his voice.
Usagi smiled gratefully at Damian before dialing the police number.
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"What if she saw us?"
"How could she have? She didn't act like she recognized us, Mamoru!"
"You are willing to risk that, Damian?"
"She doesn't know anything Mamoru!"
Damian had convinced Usagi, upon calling the police, to go inside the café, where she would be safe. She had gone to the restroom to recollect herself and the two men were left to arguing.
Damian arose when he saw her come back. She seemed so small, so delicate. He wanted to envelope her from the world and keep her for himself. "Your brother's plane should be here in thirty minutes, Usagi," he said.
Usagi stared at the floor, her body still shaking slightly. She lifted her head to look at Damian's eyes. "Will he be alright?" she whispered as her frame shook more.
Damian groaned at the amount of anxiety in her eyes. He attempted to smile at her, "Do you want me to go to the airport and bring him?"
Usagi looked at him graciously, unable to speak. Her body was still in a level of shock, so it was hard for her to control certain things.
Mamoru, meanwhile, found this drama far too amusing. Since when did Damian care about little girls? He stopped the corners of his mouth to keep from smiling.
Wincing slightly as he felt Damian glare at him from behind, Mamoru faced Usagi. Her golden tresses were unruly, her eyes were smudged with tears, and her clothes were ruffled. He eyed her appearance critically before speaking. "Why don't we wait for Damian and your brother in my car? I assume that you are not used to a place like this?"
Usagi was too distressed to notice Mamoru's mocking tone. She nodded and waited for him to lead her to his car.
Damian looked at her retreating figure before walking to the parking building across the street, where his car was parked. He and Mamoru had made sure that they had parked in separate parking buildings. Setsuna, on the other hand, had flown to Osaka and taken a taxi.
Usagi's presence had shot the acuity of their plan to hell. He sighed as he realized that confronting Usagi had not been the smartest thing for him to have done. An emotion close to fear filled Damian as he realized that he would have repeated his actions had he the chance.
Damian pressed his key ring switch a little too hard. Sighing as he got inside his 1960 Mercedes Benz, Damian held his head in his hands. What had been done, was done, there was nothing anyone could do to undo their actions. Convincing himself that Kenji deserved the death, Damian shifted the gear into drive.
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Mamoru looked at the teary girl curiously. She had her head rested on her knees as her blond hair enveloped her entire body. Why did he have the sudden urge to place a hand on her shoulder to comfort her? Why did he want to run his hands through the silky blond river of her hair? Mamoru shook his head, these thoughts were driving him insane.
Kenji was a murdering bastard who deserved the death. In fact, in Mamoru's opinion, he deserved a more horrible death, one full of pain and anguish. Too bad he died so quickly…
"Excuse me-"
Mamoru wiped the smile from his face as he turned to look at Usagi. "Yes?" he asked, his deep voice filling the compact Porsche.
"Do you have a handkerchief?" Usagi asked, embarrassed slightly.
Mamoru looked at her for a few seconds. "I think there's a box of tissues in the back seat," he said. He sighed as she kept looking at him. Twisting his back, he reached into the back seat, trying to reach the box of tissues that Setsuna had left in the backseat.
Usagi watched Mamoru intently. Something about his appearance, his voice was so comforting. Especially his voice, which was like a warm blanket.
Mamoru shifted, somewhat uncomfortable. Why did she have to lean so close to him? Moreover, why were her shirt's top two buttons loose? Mamoru closed his eyes to keep himself from peering at her chest as his breathing deepened.
"Excuse me-"
Opening his eyes abruptly, Mamoru stared into the girl's eyes. The sheer innocence present in her lipid orbs nearly made him shiver. "What?" he asked, his voice sounding gruff.
"my tissues…" Usagi said nervously.
"Here," Mamoru said, grabbing a few tissues from the box and extending his hand, a little too quickly.
Usagi gasped as she felt his hand graze her breast. Her eyes widened to their fullest, as she stared at him, unsure of what to do. Yanking the tissues out of his hand, Usagi went back to crying silently with her head on her knees.
Mamoru resisted an urge to slap his hand on his head. Why the hell did he have to be so-
"Excuse me…" Mamoru's thoughts were interrupted yet again.
"WHAT?"
Usagi grimaced. The blaze in his eyes made her scared. "I, I just wanted more tissues…" she said meekly, her eyes overflowing.
Mamoru sighed, "fine," he said as he twisted his upper body, reaching into the backseat to get more tissues.
Usagi leaned closer to Mamoru as he reached back. Unfortunately, Usagi's leaned too hard, causing Mamoru's twisted body to loose control and fall atop hers.
Usagi didn't dare move. Her breathing stilled as she felt his chest move against hers. The gear shift of the car pressing on her back did not seem to hurt her. The tiny hairs on her neck rose as she tried to speak.
Mamoru couldn't move. He didn't want to move. The girl below him was so soft. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her small body and hold her.
Mamoru shook his head as he heard a loud tapping sound on the window. He immediately sat up and opened the door.
"Jade!" Usagi cried as she saw her brother, who was throwing murderous glances at Mamoru's direction.
Mamoru winced as the girl opened the door and ran up to her brother. Jesus! Her voice was unbearably high when she screamed like that. He then turned to look at Damian and surprisingly Setsuna. Mamoru raised his brows slightly, indicating his surprise at her presence.
Damian was less than pleased to see Mamoru and Usagi in such a position. He felt certain possessiveness when it came to that girl; a possessiveness that was beginning to feel ludicrous. "Mamoru," he said, trying to explain Setsuna's presence, "I called Setsuna as well, she was already in the airport when Jade arrived."
Mamoru nodded. Apparently, Setsuna had been waiting for her flight. There would be no suspicion upon the three of them, if Setsuna had not been present during the murder, would it? Perhaps, perhaps not.
Setsuna meanwhile was looking at the small girl who was clinging to Jade. Her Magenta eyes constricted narrowly as jealousy seeped into her soul.
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Ages:
Usagi: 16
Jade: 24
Mamoru: 24
Damian: 24
Setsuna: 25 ^^
Questions? aolia_chan@hotmail.com, demeter_chan@hotmail.com
Rating: R for premeditated murder and sexual situations.
Season: Modern day Tokyo-A/U (A/R) whichever
Disclaimer: We don't own Sailormoon/ Sailor Moon or any of the characters affiliated with Sailormoon/ Sailor Moon.
Story line: Three board members of Tsukino Enterprises, Mamoru Chiba, Damian Aubigne, and Setsuna Meioh decide to terminate Kenji Tsukino and take over the company. What happens when both the men are seduced by the innocence of Kenji's daughter, Usagi Tsukino?
Notes: Thank you Ariel ^^
Notes: Ikoku does not exist. Kenji's wife (deceased) and Usagi's mother's was Serenity.
Edit: wanted to add more author's notes. This is an alternate reality in which basically all the characters are going to show up. And yes, Jade is Jadeite (who else would he be?)
*and one more thing, we cannot e-mail people everytime we release a new chapter -.-
you're going to have to check every weekend to see if we've updated or not ^^
--And Aolia wants you to review.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The monotonous limo ride from Itami airport was taking the word boring to new heights. Usagi stared dully at the busy Osaka streets. She tilted her head and stole a meek glance at her father. He seemed to be busy on the laptop typing something, which she was sure, was quite insignificant. Sighing loudly, Usagi blew her golden bangs, trying to get his interest.
Kenji smiled silently. He had always known of his daughter's attention grabbing tactics. Pretending not to notice her, he nonchalantly kept typing on his laptop.
Usagi glared at her so called father. It was bad enough that she had to come to Osaka; now, she not only had to spend two extremely dull days in the penthouse, but she also had to put of with her workaholic father. Rolling her eyes, she went back to judging the people on the streets.
Kenji shut his laptop as the limousine came to a halt. "Usagi," he addressed his daughter unflappably, "are you done watching the traffic, or whatever else you're doing?"
Usagi frowned as she turned away from the window, embarrassed. She hadn't noticed the car stop. The smiling twinkle she saw in her father's eyes, however, changed her embarrassment to anger. So, he thought this was a joke? Glaring angrily at Kenji, she nodded. "Yes daddy, I'm done. And you are done staring at your computer screen, I see."
Kenji smiled, unable to resist any longer. "Let's go inside without fighting in front of the driver ne Usagi?"
Usagi rolled her eyes and blew her bangs again. "Sure daddy, I don't see why not."
The blatant sarcasm in her voice only brought another smile to her father's lips. She looked so much Serenity when she rolled her eyes like that. He sighed, dead memories of Serenity would serve no purpose to him now.
"Daddy, are you coming?"
Kenji shook his head as Usagi's exasperated voice interrupted his thoughts. Walking over to the glass elevator in the office building, he looked at his daughter's aloof expression. Apparently, she had chosen to ignore him just he had ignored her. "So, Usa, what happened in school?" he asked, trying to make a conversation.
So, he wanted to talk now, did he? Usagi was not going to give him the satisfaction. "I really don't want to talk about it right now, daddy," her voice sounded tired.
"You know, Shingo is doing fine in his school. He got elected as the president of his class." Kenji smiled harder as he saw her frown.
Usagi chose not to say anything. How dare he compare her to Shingo? He knew she hated it when he did that. Regressing back into trying to ignore him, she stepped inside the glass elevator.
"Is the building floor that interesting, Usa?" Kenji asked, the apparent humor in his voice, indicating his purpose.
Usagi merely nodded as she refused to look at him. She continued to ignore him until deep rumbling in her stomach reminded her of her hunger. She had had nothing to eat since… Hell, she had not eaten since breakfast!
For Usagi Tsukino, not eating for more than four hours was sacrilegious, it was profane, heck, it was heretical. Pulling on her father's arm as the elevator stopped, she looked at him demandingly. "Daddy, what about dinner, what are we going to have?" Her eyes were wide with concern, as if her question was a life or death situation.
Kenji gulped. He knew how much his daughter revered food. Absently, he hadn't thought much about food, of all things. Kenji looked at Usagi's round blue eyes, hoping his answer would satisfy her. "Usa-hime, I thought that since we haven't had a family meal for years now, why don't I make dinner?"
Usagi couldn't believe her ears. Her father? Make dinner? The last time he'd tried to do that, he'd set off a kitchen fire. Not only that, the man could not cook to save his life. Usagi would rather eat a thousand airplane meals than her father's cooking. She forced herself to breathe calmly. "Daddy, why don't we order takeout? Or we could go out to eat?"
Kenji sighed, somewhat relieved. She hadn't started wailing yet, there was still a glimmer of hope. "No, Usagi, I insist. Besides, I will probably make ramen noodles. It won't be too bad, Usagi."
Usagi skulked angrily as she walked out of the elevator into and into the apartment. This particular one was just so… drab. It was done in what her father called 'post modern' style. The interior was chrome colored. Everything from the furniture to the tapestry was metallic enough to make her eyes ache. Glaring critically at her surroundings, she made her way to the bathroom. "Daddy, I'm taking a shower," she yelled before slamming the bathroom door.
Kenji progressed into the kitchen until he heard a shrill scream come from the guest bathroom.
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Damian eyed the rickety, decrepit café stool distastefully before sighing and sitting down. His hands were nervously clenched into tight fists and the lines evident on his forehead gave away his troubled disposition. He narrowed his eyes at the filthy coffee cup, which the waitress had sloppily placed on the table.
"The coffee is not that bad is it?"
Damian looked up to see Setsuna approach him. He nodded curtly. "Do not tell me you're actually going to drink this filthy thing."
Setsuna didn't bother answering him as she sat on the stool opposite to him. "Where's Mamoru?" she asked, her magenta eyes aloof.
Damian smiled as he saw her attempts to hide her nervousness. She was so easy to read, it was actually pathetic. "Having second thoughts, Setsuna?" he asked softly. His glittering eyes were laced with resentment. He had never liked Setsuna's 'holier than thou' attitude.
Setsuna smiled, but without her eyes, her lips twisted into a smirk. "Are you, Damian?" she asked. Her eyes reflecting his resentment.
"Stop it, both of you."
Setsuna and Damian stopped their personal war as Mamoru sat down next to Setsuna. His azure eyes were slightly amused. He was dressed in a black leather jacket accompanied by black jeans. His ebony hair fell roughly against his forehead, emphasizing the indigo blaze in his eyes.
"It's eight o'clock Mamoru," Damian stated, "Is everything in order?"
Mamoru smiled, the azure in his eyes glistened dangerously. "Of course. In two hours, Kenji will call the Support through his cell phone. Since he wants to relax this weekend, he has had the phone lines disconnected. We will walk to the building approximately after ten minutes. We will be taking the stairs located at the back, the second fire escape. From what I've heard, no one uses those stairs."
"You need an activation card to enter the building, Mamoru," Damian said. His eyes intent on finding a mistake in the plan. Setsuna had been right, he was not ready to do this. "You need two cards, one for the entrance to the back, and another for the door that leads to the stairs."
Mamoru grinned, the brilliant azure in his eyes were gleaming like twin indigo spheres of fire. He reached into his black leather jacket and pulled out what looked like two credit cards. "Here," he said, placing the cards on the table.
Setsuna's eyes widened. Being Junior Board members, none of them had entrance cards to any of the buildings except for Accounts. Seizing the cards before Damian, she turned to look at Mamoru. "Where did you get these?" she asked, her eyes widening.
Mamoru's grin widened. "That, love, is none of your business…"
Damian was about to object when he was cut off by the ringing of a phone. His eyes were glued to the phone Mamoru was holding. "Mamoru, you told me Kenji would call at ten."
Mamoru ignored Damian as he curiously answered the phone. "Hello?" he said in a higher voice.
Setsuna looked intently at her fiancé as he spoke to Kenji. Her earlier efforts to hide her nervousness were of no use. Taking deep breaths, Setsuna tried controlling her shaky hands.
Damian's glittering eyes were for once, unfocused. As soon as Mamoru clicked the phone shut, he rose. "What did he want?"
The glaze in Mamoru's eyes was replaced by opaque seriousness. "Kenji called for plumbing support," he said, "maybe he decided to take his bath early today." His tone was light, as if he were telling a joke.
Setsuna gripped the decrepit wooden table to keep her hands from shaking visibly. "What are we going to do?" she asked.
Mamoru sighed, "What can we do?" A thin smile etched his lips, "we have to continue with the plan, what else?"
Damian rose from the rickety café stool. "If I may make a suggestion, Mamoru, your girlfriend is too weak. She might be a hindrance…"
Mamoru nodded, he looked at Setsuna. "I need you to get back in your car and go home right now, Sets," he said soothingly. His eyes had softened, making his appearance gentler than it actually was. Once again, Mamoru knew exactly how to handle her.
Setsuna did not meet his eyes. She had so wanted to be rid of Kenji, and do things differently in Tsukino enterprises. But apparently, she did not have the courage for this type of action. Picking up her purse from the café table, she turned around and left the café through the front exit, not bothering to look at either of the men.
Damian took in a deep breath. "Is she strong enough to handle this?" he asked, indicating Setsuna's retreating figure.
Mamoru smiled, "no," he said simply before picking up the activation cards from the table. "Should we leave?" his question was mild, he was asking a trivial question.
Damian smiled at his friend's ruthlessness. He knew there was a hidden agenda when it came to the hate Mamoru felt for Kenji, but what exactly the agenda was, Damian did not know. Nodding brusquely, he walked out of the café's front entrance.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Usagi sat down on the bed, glaring at nothing in particular. This was not turning out to be a nice day. She shivered as she remembered the biting cold water she had had to face in the shower.
She rolled her eyes at the thought of her father making dinner in the kitchen. Letting a small smile shape her lips, she giggled softly. Would Jade consider their father making dinner a serious enough problem for her to call him?
"Now what should I do?" she spoke aloud walking aimlessly around the room. Usagi searched the guest room in order to find something interesting, at least until her father had made dinner.
A bright portrait, contrasting the dullness of the room caught her eyes. She scrutinized the family portrait, her eyes narrowing. Her father was on the far right with Jade and her standing in the middle. Her mother was situated on the far left. Usagi sighed, she could not remember much of her mother, but she still could picture her eyes sometimes. Her soft cobalt eyes were so serene, so peaceful, they defined her name so well.
Usagi's memories were interrupted by a soft thud coming from the kitchen. She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. If Jade were present, he would have told her that her eyes would be stuck that way. Sighing loudly, she opened the door and walked onto the corridor that led to the kitchen, ready to give her dad the 'I told you so' speech.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Damian felt the adrenaline rush up his system as they climbed up the stairs.
Sensing his friend's anxiety, Mamoru smiled. "Cannot handle pressure, Damian?" he asked, his voice neutral.
Damian smiled back, though his eyes glittered treacherously. "And you can, do you even know how we are going to kill him? The earlier plan will not work."
Mamoru raised a brow at the directness of the question. "You would think that I did not come prepared?" Mamoru's sapphire eyes smiled at Damian.
Damian nearly growled. "What are we going to do, Mamoru?"
Mamoru sighed, "If you insist, I will ruin the surprise for you." Saying that, he reached into his black leather jacket and pulled out two small semi-automatic guns encased with silencers. He smiled harder upon seeing the shock in Damian's face. He handed Damian one of the guns and kept the other himself.
Damian couldn't lift his eyes off the illegal weapon in his hand. "There will be a murder investigation if they find bullets in his body, Mamoru," he had to try twice before finding his voice.
Mamoru grinned, "These guns are registered in Yamamoto's name, Damian. I know that he is in some motel room with some whore right now. Nobody knows where he is, so if the police want to convict someone, they will convict him."
Damian's dazzling eyes widened at the sheer callousness in Mamoru's eyes. His lips were slightly parted as he looked at the man, whom he classified as a friend. "Who's going to shoot him?" Damian asked.
Mamoru laughed aloud. "Too many questions, Damian," he stated. "Either you can shoot him, or I will. Or we are going to shoot him together. Logical, isn't it?"
Damian's perfectly aligned brows furrowed. Why was Mamoru not answering his questions properly?
"Well, Damian, here we are. Are you ready?" Mamoru's eyes gleamed with an eerie shade of indigo light.
Damian breathed deeply. "Yes," he said quietly and followed Mamoru to the apartment door. His eyes widened with surprise as Mamoru simply clicked the door open.
"Kenji said he would keep the door open for plumbing support," Mamoru explicated upon Damian's disclosure.
Damian mutely nodded as he followed Mamoru to the penthouse kitchen. He could hear someone cooking over there. The sight of Kenji with a cook book on one hand and a tomato on another greeted his eyes.
"Kenji-san," Mamoru said with mock reverence, smiling as the man faced him.
Kenji whirled around to face two of his Junior Board members. He recognized one as Mamoru Chiba and another as Damian something. He was about to answer when his eyes traveled to the gun Mamoru was holding. The cook book from Kenji's hand slipped and fell onto the floor with a thud.
Damian had the urge to laugh, he had never expected to see Kenji Tsukino with a cook book and a tomato. Kenji's shock eased his own nervousness a little, as he steadied his hold in the gun. His ears heard a click that came from the left corridor.
--
What happened then was too quick for any human eyes or ears to follow.
Kenji Tsukino hit the floor as a single bullet hit the left side of his chest, as Mamoru led Damian out of the apartment.
--
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Usagi screamed. The sound echoed through the apartment before hitting her ears. She couldn't seem to stop.
She had wanted to see how much her father was abusing the kitchen when she'd seen him lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
With as much speed as she could garner, Usagi ran to the kitchen phone, and dialed Jade's number. She slammed the phone when it did not work.
Thinking impulsively, Usagi grabbed her purse and ran to the elevator. She would find a payphone and call Jade immediately.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"That was not hard, was it?"
Damian looked at Mamoru, though his eyes somewhere else. "There was someone else in the apartment," he said.
Mamoru sighed, "It doesn't matter, Damian. What matters is we got the job done. Tomorrow, the senior and junior boards will merge. We can then run Jade out of the presidency."
Damian felt some relief. Mamoru was right, with Kenji out of the game, they could run Tsukino Enterprises. "Why do you have such hate toward the Tsukino family, Mamoru?" he asked curiously.
Mamoru, however, was not paying attention to Damian. He was looking outside the Café window. Some blonde woman looked like she was trying to use the payphone, 'trying' being the key word. He nearly smiled as she slammed down the receiver.
Damian growled irritably when Mamoru did not answer his question. "Just what is it that is so interesting?" he asked. He turned around to look at what Mamoru found so amusing. He squinted his eyes as he saw the lustrous blond hair that nearly reached the ground. His eyes wide with recognition, Damian rose immediately. "That's Usagi," he said, walking, or nearly running, out of the café, toward the payphone.
Mamoru followed Damian absently. "You mean that she's the woman you were talking about earlier?" he asked. He sounded like he was restraining an enormous urge to laugh. Almost as if he knew something that Damian did not.
Damian, however, did not bother to answer him. He immediately walked across the street, regardless of the traffic sign. "Usagi!" he called, not caring if he looked like a raving lunatic.
Usagi whirled around upon hearing her name. Her eyes widened with recognition as she saw the man she had fallen onto earlier. Damian Aubigne. His white hair was flying around him, like an aura, making him look ethereal. Usagi felt some comfort at seeing a familiar face. Behind him, she saw a man with ebony hair, and unfathomable azure eyes. "Damian," she said as he reached her.
Damian looked at her tear streaked face as he opened his arms and held her. She was so warm, so perfect, so tender. "What's wrong, Usagi, who were you trying to call?" he asked.
Usagi pulled away from him, not caring enough to blush. "I have to call the police and my brother," she said. Her body shook violently as she experienced a burst of fresh new tears.
Damian stroked her hair gently. "You can use this," he said giving her his phone. He refrained from asking any questions.
Usagi took the phone, thanking him with her gracious eyes. She immediately dialed Jade's personal number. "Jade," she whispered, not quite knowing how to tell him, "I need you to come here, daddy's been shot."
Damian reeled at her words, the impact of his realization hitting him with full force.
Jade was her brother, and Kenji was her…father?
That meant, she was the second person in the penthouse. He stood there frozen, unable to say anything.
"What happened, Usagi? You are Kenji's daughter aren't you?"
Damian turned at Mamoru's voice. His attention returned to Usagi who was still hyperventilating. "Do not ask that now, Mamoru," he said, trying to gain control of his voice.
Usagi smiled gratefully at Damian before dialing the police number.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"What if she saw us?"
"How could she have? She didn't act like she recognized us, Mamoru!"
"You are willing to risk that, Damian?"
"She doesn't know anything Mamoru!"
Damian had convinced Usagi, upon calling the police, to go inside the café, where she would be safe. She had gone to the restroom to recollect herself and the two men were left to arguing.
Damian arose when he saw her come back. She seemed so small, so delicate. He wanted to envelope her from the world and keep her for himself. "Your brother's plane should be here in thirty minutes, Usagi," he said.
Usagi stared at the floor, her body still shaking slightly. She lifted her head to look at Damian's eyes. "Will he be alright?" she whispered as her frame shook more.
Damian groaned at the amount of anxiety in her eyes. He attempted to smile at her, "Do you want me to go to the airport and bring him?"
Usagi looked at him graciously, unable to speak. Her body was still in a level of shock, so it was hard for her to control certain things.
Mamoru, meanwhile, found this drama far too amusing. Since when did Damian care about little girls? He stopped the corners of his mouth to keep from smiling.
Wincing slightly as he felt Damian glare at him from behind, Mamoru faced Usagi. Her golden tresses were unruly, her eyes were smudged with tears, and her clothes were ruffled. He eyed her appearance critically before speaking. "Why don't we wait for Damian and your brother in my car? I assume that you are not used to a place like this?"
Usagi was too distressed to notice Mamoru's mocking tone. She nodded and waited for him to lead her to his car.
Damian looked at her retreating figure before walking to the parking building across the street, where his car was parked. He and Mamoru had made sure that they had parked in separate parking buildings. Setsuna, on the other hand, had flown to Osaka and taken a taxi.
Usagi's presence had shot the acuity of their plan to hell. He sighed as he realized that confronting Usagi had not been the smartest thing for him to have done. An emotion close to fear filled Damian as he realized that he would have repeated his actions had he the chance.
Damian pressed his key ring switch a little too hard. Sighing as he got inside his 1960 Mercedes Benz, Damian held his head in his hands. What had been done, was done, there was nothing anyone could do to undo their actions. Convincing himself that Kenji deserved the death, Damian shifted the gear into drive.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mamoru looked at the teary girl curiously. She had her head rested on her knees as her blond hair enveloped her entire body. Why did he have the sudden urge to place a hand on her shoulder to comfort her? Why did he want to run his hands through the silky blond river of her hair? Mamoru shook his head, these thoughts were driving him insane.
Kenji was a murdering bastard who deserved the death. In fact, in Mamoru's opinion, he deserved a more horrible death, one full of pain and anguish. Too bad he died so quickly…
"Excuse me-"
Mamoru wiped the smile from his face as he turned to look at Usagi. "Yes?" he asked, his deep voice filling the compact Porsche.
"Do you have a handkerchief?" Usagi asked, embarrassed slightly.
Mamoru looked at her for a few seconds. "I think there's a box of tissues in the back seat," he said. He sighed as she kept looking at him. Twisting his back, he reached into the back seat, trying to reach the box of tissues that Setsuna had left in the backseat.
Usagi watched Mamoru intently. Something about his appearance, his voice was so comforting. Especially his voice, which was like a warm blanket.
Mamoru shifted, somewhat uncomfortable. Why did she have to lean so close to him? Moreover, why were her shirt's top two buttons loose? Mamoru closed his eyes to keep himself from peering at her chest as his breathing deepened.
"Excuse me-"
Opening his eyes abruptly, Mamoru stared into the girl's eyes. The sheer innocence present in her lipid orbs nearly made him shiver. "What?" he asked, his voice sounding gruff.
"my tissues…" Usagi said nervously.
"Here," Mamoru said, grabbing a few tissues from the box and extending his hand, a little too quickly.
Usagi gasped as she felt his hand graze her breast. Her eyes widened to their fullest, as she stared at him, unsure of what to do. Yanking the tissues out of his hand, Usagi went back to crying silently with her head on her knees.
Mamoru resisted an urge to slap his hand on his head. Why the hell did he have to be so-
"Excuse me…" Mamoru's thoughts were interrupted yet again.
"WHAT?"
Usagi grimaced. The blaze in his eyes made her scared. "I, I just wanted more tissues…" she said meekly, her eyes overflowing.
Mamoru sighed, "fine," he said as he twisted his upper body, reaching into the backseat to get more tissues.
Usagi leaned closer to Mamoru as he reached back. Unfortunately, Usagi's leaned too hard, causing Mamoru's twisted body to loose control and fall atop hers.
Usagi didn't dare move. Her breathing stilled as she felt his chest move against hers. The gear shift of the car pressing on her back did not seem to hurt her. The tiny hairs on her neck rose as she tried to speak.
Mamoru couldn't move. He didn't want to move. The girl below him was so soft. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her small body and hold her.
Mamoru shook his head as he heard a loud tapping sound on the window. He immediately sat up and opened the door.
"Jade!" Usagi cried as she saw her brother, who was throwing murderous glances at Mamoru's direction.
Mamoru winced as the girl opened the door and ran up to her brother. Jesus! Her voice was unbearably high when she screamed like that. He then turned to look at Damian and surprisingly Setsuna. Mamoru raised his brows slightly, indicating his surprise at her presence.
Damian was less than pleased to see Mamoru and Usagi in such a position. He felt certain possessiveness when it came to that girl; a possessiveness that was beginning to feel ludicrous. "Mamoru," he said, trying to explain Setsuna's presence, "I called Setsuna as well, she was already in the airport when Jade arrived."
Mamoru nodded. Apparently, Setsuna had been waiting for her flight. There would be no suspicion upon the three of them, if Setsuna had not been present during the murder, would it? Perhaps, perhaps not.
Setsuna meanwhile was looking at the small girl who was clinging to Jade. Her Magenta eyes constricted narrowly as jealousy seeped into her soul.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ages:
Usagi: 16
Jade: 24
Mamoru: 24
Damian: 24
Setsuna: 25 ^^