AN: Wow, this story has actually gone off course. A lot of unexpected little turns that change the plot and how long this story actually was going to be. Needless to say, the little development in Usagi and Duo's relationship was really unexpected from me. I guess it just flowed out from my fingers. Duo should deserve some happiness, ne? Before everything crashes that is. Hehehehe...
Sailor Grape: Feel free to voice your ideas. If you get it right, I can stare at the screen like a dork in shock because someone actually picked up on it. It's really obvious to me because I thought up the sister but if you can guess it that means that I actually got something right for a change! ^^
Twist of Fate
by
Iris
"Hiiro!"
Usagi grimaced as the grinding screech of a banshee was heard in the early hours of the morning. Next to her, Duo stirred, cracking open one eye unwillingly with a groan. The clock imbedded in the bedroom wall read 6:47. And it was definitely AM.
"Mou, doesn't Relena know what time it is?" Usagi whined as another piercing shriek of 'Hiiro' was heard.
"Aa, she does it just to annoy us." Duo murmured sleepily, "She's jealous that someone got to bed a Gundam pilot and it's not her."
He smiled as Usagi's tinkling laugh filled the room; pulling the silk covers more securely around themselves, he pulled the still laughing girl closer. Usagi sighed and snuggled into him, hugging him as though he were a teddy bear.
"How are things with Hiiro, by the way?"
Duo tensed as violet eyes opened once more, "Not too good."
Usagi remained silent for awhile, he still hadn't told her what their fight was about. Another banshee cry was heard, dragging the both of them out of Duo's bed. Annoyance and irritation tinged Usagi's normally calm features as she went to the door and flung it open.
"Hii-"
"Shut up, bitch." Usagi snarled, blue eyes glaring at the pink flamingo standing down the hall, "Some people are still trying to get some sleep."
The pink flamingo huffed as she turned to face the new addition of the group, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Can it." Usagi growled as the wheat-haired Peacecraft huffed.
"I don't think you know who you're talking with, whore." Relena snarled back nastily, "Then again, I don't think whores have much of an education, do you?"
"I wouldn't know. Why don't you ask yourself?" Usagi smiled, leaning on the door frame as Duo came to stand behind her.
"Why you-"
Lazily, Usagi tilted her head up to look at Duo before capturing his lips with hers, just to remind Relena, once again, what they had and she didn't.
"Can't think of anything to say, princess darling?" Usagi questioned, her smile growing wider when Relena gave off a screech of frustration and stormed off, heading back to her "palace" no doubt.
Duo also smiled at Relena's departure, "Let's go back to sleep."
By the time Quatre opened the door to see if the coast was clear, Duo and Usagi had already disappeared back into the depths of their room.
~*~
"Ready?"
Usagi smiled brilliantly and nodded as a tornado of cherry blossom petals whirled by, a few catching in the strands of her hair. It was late spring compared to the winter they had just left behind a few weeks ago on the other side of the world.
Duo grinned boyishly as he handed her a red and black helmet, "Come on; let me show you how fast this baby can go."
He patted the red motorcycle beside him as he slid into the motorcycle's seat, helmet already on with the visor slipped down. Usagi laughed delightedly, placing her own helmet on over her pinned up hair.
"Alright, let's go."
She situated herself behind him and wrapped her arms securely around his waist. Usagi buried her face into the back of his leather jacket, inhaling the cinnamony scent of Duo.
Duo himself readied the motorcycle, starting it up before finally taking off. The two of them never heard Quatre yelling for them to come back.
"Leave him a note." Hiiro said coldly, "We have to go now."
"But-"
"Leave. him. a. note."
"Just do it, Winner." Wufei said from his observation point one story up, "Duo will just have to catch up later."
"Alright."
And Quatre moved off to the kitchen in search of paper and pencil.
~*~
"Where is everyone?"
Duo shrugged as Usagi voiced his concern about the lack of people about the mansion, "Let's check the kitchen, it's around dinner."
Usagi nodded and followed him as they wandered the halls to the kitchen. The house was eerily quiet, the shadows seemingly longer than before in the silence. She gulped nervously when the chiming of a grandfather clock marked the 7 o'clock hour with seven bone-shaking 'bong's.
Duo meanwhile, while still cautious, strode confidently ahead with absolutely no sound at all. A result of severe training. After what seemed like hours to Usagi, they finally reached the aforementioned room.
And the lights were on. Bright, blinding kitchen lights that made even Duo stop to blink several times at the sudden change.
"Hey, Q-man left us a note!" Duo said cheerfully, snatching the paper from the refrigerator magnet that held it.
His smile quickly dimmed however at the note's contents. Usagi sighed as she draped herself over Duo's shoulder to read the note.
"A mission?"
"Mm hmm." Duo nodded and groaned, pocketing the slip of paper and turning his head to capture her lips.
"You should probably hurry, ne?" Usagi questioned as she pulled away, "I'll miss you."
"It should only take a few days." Duo shrugged on his jacket and walked out of the kitchen, Usagi trailing behind him.
The silence between them was deafening. Usagi watched Duo nervously as he strode into a "storage room."
"Bye, Usa." Duo's mask slid into place as he turned around and kissed her on the cheek, "I'll see you soon."
He clambered into Deathscythe's cockpit and Usagi's answering farewell was lost in the roar of engines as the gundam flew off.
"Hurry back..."
~*~
Usagi sighed miserably as she curled up onto Duo's bed. It had been over a week since Duo had left. The halls rang with a hollow emptiness, not even the sounds of servants cleaning were heard by the forlorn girl. Sighing once more, the blonde got up, bare feet padding against plush carpet as she made her way to the bathroom.
Like the rest of the mansion, the bathroom seemed cold and barren despite the bright, golden decor. Glumly, Usagi brushed her teeth and washed her face before returning to the bedroom, brush in hand. As she perched on the edge of the bed running said object through her hair, the bedroom door opened and one of Quatre's many maids entered.
"Usagi-san, I thought you might like a snack before you retire for the night." she murmured, placing a glass of milk and a few cookies on the bedside table.
Usagi forced a smile onto her face as she thanked the brunette. Replying with a "you're welcome" the maid bowed and exited the room. A few minutes later, Usagi sighed and placed the brush down beside the milk and cookies.
Downing the drink in one gulp, she nibbled on a few cookies before settling down to sleep. She never heard the gasp or dulled shot as the maid waiting outside her room died, fingers clasping an empty green packet. Drugged as she was, Usagi remained dead to the world as the bedroom door creaked open and a shadowed figure padded silently towards the bed.
She remained unresponsive as her pulse was checked and she was finally picked up and taken out of the room, her carrier taking great care to step across the growing puddle of blood on the pure white carpet.
~*~
"How are we going to tell her?"
"I'll do it."
"But shouldn't we at least try?"
"No. It's too heavily guarded. We'd never make it out without leaving someone else behind."
"But-"
"I said no."
Her head pounded. It hurt. Everything just hurt. Like a really bad hangover except she didn't feel the need to throw up. Her eyelids felt weighted down as she struggled to force them open.
And once she did, she was assaulted with white. Pure, unadulterated white that stung compared the normally black walls that she usually saw. Sitting up with a wince, Usagi searched for the source of the voices. Finding no one else in the room, she blinked, confused. And then the voices started up again and she followed them to a wall.
Frowning, Usagi slid out of bed, the crinkly white hospital sheets crackling. Immediately, the door was flung open and she took on a fighting stance unconsciously.
"Usagi-san!"
She straightened as the Arabian blonde began to question her about how she was feeling.
"Quatre, where am I?"
"You're in another mansion." Quatre said hesitantly, "We had to move."
"Oh."
Silence filled the room as one by one the other pilots filed into the room.
"Where is he?"
"Where is who, Usagi-san?" Quatre questioned nervously, scooting back to join the others.
Her eyes snapped to him and a chill ran down his spine, "Where's Duo?"
When no one answered, she turned her gaze upon all the pilots instead of just one, "Where. is. Duo?"
"He's been captured by Oz." Hiiro stated coolly, eyes level with hers.
"Oh?" Usagi's eyes narrowed as the previous conversation that she had heard filtered back into her mind, "And what do you plan to do about it."
Hiiro met her glare stonily and replied with his ever-present monotone, "Nothing."
"I see." the room seemed to drop several degrees as Usagi spoke, "You won't do anything about it? You plan on just leaving him there?"
"If you fall behind, you get left behind." Hiiro explained softly, "Besides, we don't need him to pilot Deathscythe anymore. We have someone else."
"Someone else." Usagi repeated, "And who is this someone else? I would like to have a few words with him."
"Onna, that someone else is you." Wufei growled from the sidelines, refusing to back down as her cool gaze moved over to him.
"Really now, I don't think I've been properly trained for that kind of job." Usagi snapped, eyes flashing.
"Yes you have," Hiiro said calmly, "Tsuki."
Usagi's eyes grew wide as that single name triggered something that had been hidden from her. Her memories. Something she had wished she had but now didn't.
--flashback--
"Tsuki, come here."
A young girl of eight turned her head and moved towards the grizzled old man that beckoned her. Her steps were calm, measured, and calculated as she moved across the tile floor like a robot.
"Yes?"
"I want you to aim at that target and hit it dead center." the man murmured, handing her a gun with one metal hand that clicked.
The girl grasped the smooth weapon and aimed and fired. There was a small puff as the bullet hit the target and it was brought forth automatically for inspection.
"Very good, Tsuki. Next target."
This one was a black cut-out of a human with a few white dots littered over the fatal points. Once again, the girl aimed and fired, blue eyes cold as she emptied the whole clip into the cardboard.
"You're coming along very nicely, Tsuki. Well done." the man ran his only real hand through a patch of white hair before moving it down to calmly pat Tsuki on the head.
Quick as lightening, Tsuki grabbed his hand and twisted, her eyes showing emotion for the first time as she snarled at the older man, "Don't touch me."
Frowning, the man pulled his hand back and called forth someone else from the shadows, "I want her retrained. No emotions. Not even anger." he snapped, "Do it right this time."
Dr. J watched as the child named Tsuki was dragged away.
--flash--
"Just give it up."
Tsuki's head snapped to the side as her eyes focused on a slightly older boy in the corner of her isolation chamber, "What do you want, Hiiro?" she spat out his name like a curse.
"Just give up fighting against him." Hiiro moved out of the shadows and his own blue eyes narrowed at her, "It's no use."
"I won't fucking give up." Tsuki snarled, eyes flashing, "I'm no one's robot. I don't bend to anyone's will. Not like you."
"If it's what I have to do to survive then I'll do it." Hiiro bit out before turning to leave, "You'd do best to do that too."
--flash--
"Sir, she's escaped!"
The doctor whirled around, "Find her now! Lock 01 up! We don't need him escaping too!"
"Immediately, sir!"
From the air vents, Tsuki observed the whole occurrence and smiled bitterly, "Good luck, Hiiro. You can be as perfect as you want but it still won't change what Dr. J thinks of you. You're still just another test subject without a name."
She ghosted through the rest of the facility and dropped to the ground outside as she darted away.
--flash--
"We've got her!"
Her eyes flew open and she cursed under her breath as a brilliant light filled her vision.
"No...I won't be taken again!"
An anguished scream tore through the air as everything erupted in silver-blue flames.
--end flashback--
"J's perfect soldier." Usagi snarled, her lips pulling back as she showed teeth, "I'm not going to be your convenient little puppet."
"Usagi-san, please calm down. Let's talk this over." Quatre cut in, blue eyes wide at the sudden change in her mood and actions.
"Don't you 'Usagi-san' me, pilot." Usagi growled, eyes snapping over to him. Quatre's mouth fell open as he noticed that her eyes were no longer a pure crystal blue; instead, they were now flecked with silver specks that continued to appear as he watched, "Let's talk this over?" she mocked, mimicking his tone, "Alright why don't you lot shut up and let me talk."
"I am sick of you all." she spat out viciously, eyes flashing, "Duo risked his goddamn neck for you and you aren't even going to try and rescue him. And you expect me to take his place just like that? Do you seriously think in your little, male minds that I will replace him without a thought? Well guess what, pilots, you can just forget your fucked up little plan because I'm not even going to consider it."
If you could see such a thing as an aura, then you would have seen hers flicker and then explode in a wash of silver that made even Hiiro stagger as the force pulsed through the air.
"In fact, I'm not even going to consider you."
Another pulse of energy.
"I'm going to rescue Duo myself." Usagi hissed as wind whipped through the air, "And when I do, I'm going to see that neither he nor I will ever see you pathetic lot of 'heroes' again."
She took a step forward and there was a faint hiss as the metal floor of the room melted under her foot.
"And you should be fucking glad that this screwed up systems needs heroes. Otherwise, none of you would leave this room alive."
Up until now, none of the people in the room had noticed the flashing red light of the alarm in the room. However, they did notice when a group of soldiers stormed the room with guns. Behind them, a frazzled man in a white lab coat was shouting.
"We want her alive! Alive! Tranquilizers! Not bullets! Tranquilizers!"
There was a brief shuffling as guns were unloaded and then reloaded and aimed at her. Usagi laughed and turned around, her back facing them as she took a step towards the wall that had been previously behind her. She heard the order to fire given and a multitude of darts flying through the air.
...only to strike a barrier and fall to the floor. Usagi turned her head back and smiled coldly.
"Nice seeing you again, J." she faced forward again and moved towards the wall with another hissing step, "Oh, and Hiiro? It's not Tsuki. It's Usagi."
And an explosion rocketed the room and the occupants could only stare in awe at the hole in the metal wall that Usagi had left behind. The girl herself had disappeared without a trace.
Quatre shuddered, but not from the wind that was suddenly whistling through the room.
Her eyes. At the last moment they had definitely not been blue. They had been silver. A silver that reflected everything that she had felt with astounding clarity. And at that moment, it had been hate. Hate directed at them.
~*~
Elsewhere, a petite girl with short black hair started, her violet eyes filled with an unknown emotion as she stood up quickly. The pitch black dress she wore pooled at her feet as she moved away from the ebony colored throne that she had previously been sitting on. A figure materialized in front of her as an elegant glaive materialized in her hand.
"Taru-chan." the woman murmured, aqua eyes bright with hope yet dark with memory of previous failures.
Hotaru nodded and her outfit shimmered before being replaced with a fuku not unlike that of the woman in front of her. The only difference was the center of her fuku bow and where the other woman's fuku was turquoise, hers was violet. The purple symbol of Saturn glowed on her forehead for the briefest of moments before being replaced by a small golden circlet bejeweled with a single dark amethyst.
Before her Michiru smiled ever so slightly as two more people materialized, both of them bedecked in fukus of different colors.
"Haruka. Setsuna."
The two nodded respectively before coming over and joining hands. With a multi-colored shimmer, they disappeared in a flash leaving behind only a throne room that echoed with emptiness.
"So it has begun."
A figure unnoticed by the previous four turned and left the room in a shower of green sparks.
AN: If it helps any, I added more than I had originally planned. Yes, it is still very short compared to those thirty-page long chapters out there. Sorry but if I added what I have planned to this chapter, it would have taken away some of the suspense that I want readers to have. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews. I love reviews (and reviewers) and I will never get tired of them! (aka REVIEW!)
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.