AN: Alright, so the story is finally moving now. ^^ Updates will still be at irregular intervals but, hopefully, the chapters will be longer. I suppose you could call this the climax of the story. Everything will level out for a few chapters and then draw to a conclusion.
Twist of Fate
by
Iris
"Duo..."
His name fell from her lips as she viewed the estate from her position in mid-air. Silver eyes flickered between varying emotions before finally settling on one. Revenge. First she would leave this traitorous group beneath her feet to find her Gundam. Her SilverWing would be the weapon she'd use to annihilate those Oz soldiers. Within her mind, she felt the pulsing presence of Duo flare with pain. Eyes narrowing, she turned on one foot, hair whipping through the air as her form wavered once before vanishing.
~*~
"We're under attack!"
"Take cover!"
"Gundam!"
Terrified shrieks rang through the air as concentrated power sliced through the first wall of defense. The purple energy was attached to a glaive that was held in the large, metal hand of a mobile suit. A Gundam to be exact. Smiling coldly in the cockpit was Usagi, her eyes taking on a slightly crazed look as bloodlust sank into her system. Her smile grew into full blown, insane-tinted laughter as a unit of Leos approached with their own weapons drawn.
"You think you can stop me?"
To her right the Zero system hummed with electricity as it displayed tactical maneuvers and battle plans. Fingers ghosting over the keyboard and controls, Usagi attacked the doomed suits with a vengeance. Her destructive path left behind mangled Leos and minor explosions as she moved swiftly and efficiently through the metal hallway.
A steel wall rose before her and was quickly disposed of with one horizontal cut and SilverWing appeared in a spacious hangar. Frowning, she noticed the group of Oz mechanics that fled the room, leaving Gundam Deathscythe-Hell in various states of confinement behind them. Tsking, Usagi released her harness and the cockpit hissed as it slid open.
"Here's where I leave you, darling."
With an over exaggerated blown kiss, Usagi leaped gracefully from the Gundam and landed onto the floor in a crouch. Straightening, she noted several groups of foot soldiers heading towards her, guns drawn and ready.
"Ah? A welcoming committee?" Usagi questioned mockingly as her hands crackled with silver-blue energy, "Aww, I'm flattered but you really shouldn't have."
"Fire!"
The soldiers all simultaneously pulled the trigger and the bullets sped towards her with deadly accuracy. Usagi shook her head as they bounced harmlessly off of a shield erected just seconds after the order.
"Mou, that wasn't very nice now, was it?"
The energy that had been collecting in her hands flared as it was released and spread out throughout the room in a wave of crackling electricity. Guns clattered to the ground as startled soldiers were lifted into the air where Usagi viewed them from the ground.
"I really don't have time for this right now, boys." Usagi tapped her foot on the ground, "So let's make this quick. Where's the pilot?"
Silent reigned for a minute before the girl sighed and shook her head.
"No one's responding?" Usagi questioned, raising one delicate eyebrow, "Then I have no use for this stupid lot."
She brought the fingers of one hand together in a swift motion and the energy keeping the soldiers up dissipated. Leaving them to fall from several meters in the air and hit the ground with sickening cracks as bones broke.
Calmly, as if she hadn't just disabled and possibly killed several dozen people, Usagi walked through the room and out the first door she came across. Ending up in a hall, she watched a soldier run for all he was worth. Without a sound, she disappeared only to reappear in front of said soldier and lifted him up with one hand around his neck.
"Tell me where I can find the pilot." Usagi snarled, her eyes darkening with impatience, "Or I snap your neck right now without any regrets."
"What pilot?" the man stammered, eyes wide with fright, "Gotta be more specific than that, lady."
"The Gundam pilot, you idiot." Usagi growled, "Who else would I be talking about?"
"Commander's got 'im. Third hallway on yer left. Big doors. Can't a'miss it."
"Why thank you." Usagi dropped him and turned to continue forward but not before she heard the next words uttered out of the soldier's mouth.
"Monster."
For the briefest of moments, her silver eyes reflected pain. But only for a moment and when she turned to face him, her eyes had hardened once more. It took a second and barely an ounce of her energy to kill the man by placing a very large, gaping hold in his chest. He never knew what hit him.
'Remember. For Duo. They hurt Duo. That's all that matters.'
Yes. They hurt Duo. And in doing so, they hurt her. And what is every creature's instinct when hurt? To cause hurt on the one's inflicting it. A part of her ached at the thought of killing all these soldiers; they were people after all.
'They were people that hurt Duo.'
Steeling her resolve, Usagi stalked through the hallways, silver eyes gleaming.
~*~
Duo winced ever so slightly as he was brutally slammed against a wall again. Before him was the Oz commander, Kivardi Chiba, green eyes maddened with rage. The pilot grimaced when the man punched him in the stomach again. If he hadn't had broken ribs before, he sure as hell had them now.
"Fucking bastard!" Kivardi roared hoarsely, he had been beating up the defenseless Gundam pilot for over an hour, "Usako's mine, you understand, Gundam scum?!? Mine!"
"She's not yours." Duo choked out, stubborn as ever despite the pain lancing through his bruise riddled body, "She's not a piece of property to be claimed either."
Silence reigned in the room as Kivardi panted, murderous eyes concentrating on the one man that had dared to backtalk to him.
"And don't call her Usako." Duo continued, blinking rapidly as his vision blurred, "You have no right to."
"No right?!?" Kivardi growled, slamming another fist into Duo's stomach, "She killed Mamoru. My brother. I have every right. She owes me."
Shock flashed through Duo's body but he showed no outward reaction to this stunning statement. Instead, he chose to defend Usagi, even though, by doing that, he was just inviting more wrath upon himself.
"You're lying."
"I don't lie." Kivardi snarled, eyes flashing, "I never lie."
"What a coincidence." Duo spat, defiantly meeting the general's eyes, "Neither do I. We both just stretch the truth a little, don't we?"
"Why you-"
"Sir!" The door slammed open as a huffing soldier stumbled into the room, eyes wide with fright.
"Did I not tell the base that I was not to be interrupted unless it was something short of a catastrophe?!?" Kivardi yelled, spinning around.
"B-but, sir, we're under attack." the soldier whispered, her feet already scrambling back from the swiftly approaching commander, "I-I just thought you'd w-want t-t-to escape too."
"Escape?" The question hung between the two dangerously as Kivardi stopped walking.
"Ye-yes, sir." her voice was now no louder than a rasp, "W-we thought it best, s-sir. It's not-"
She was cut off and Duo watched, horrified as Kivardi shot his own soldier. The girl, and she really was just a girl, crumpled forward onto the ground, a puddle of crimson red spreading from beneath her body. Sure he had seen and killed people, but his ally? Never.
"I don't train my soldiers to be cowards." Kivardi spoke coldly in the resounding silence, calmly, Kivardi turned around and grabbed a hold of Duo's collar, hauling the violet-eyed boy to his feet, "No doubt, it's those pesky friends of yours."
Kivardi turned towards the doorway. And stopped. There, leaning against the metal frame, was Usagi. Silver met green as the two locked eyes. Kivardi smiled.
"Usako, how nice of you to join us." he purred, smiling, "I must admit, that new look suits you very well. Cold, mysterious murderess."
"Let Duo go." Each word fell from her lips softly and deadly. "Or you won't like the consequences."
The aura around her fluctuated as a orb of power began to grow in one hand. Still smiling, Kivardi turned Duo around so that he was now facing Usagi and acting as a shield. Duo's eyes widened in shock as he took in her appearance.
"Usa..."
She smiled gently at him for the briefest of moments before focusing on Kivardi again, "Well?"
"Darling, I think I should be the one making the demands." Kivardi murmured as he casually pulled a gun out from his clothing, "After all it's your lover boy who's in danger."
Usagi sighed as tossed the energy ball from one hand to the other and back again, "You were there weren't you?"
Kivardi's eyes narrowed, "What?"
"You were there when I killed Mamoru."
--flashback--
"Usagi-chan," a dark haired girl said softly, "stay a little longer, won't you?"
A blonde girl with her hair pulled up into two odangos frowned, "Why, Rei-chan? I need to go home now. The scout meeting's over."
"I, uh, have some chores I need to do. Can't you help a little? I have a date tonight." Rei pleaded, dark violet eyes wide with faked emotion.
"Ah..." Usagi glanced at her feet, then down the shrine stairs that the other senshi had already descended, "Alright. But just for you, Rei-chan. Have fun on your date, ne?"
The priestess smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, it'll only take a little while. And I'll be forever grateful."
Usagi smiled brightly at her friend, "You'll let me off when I'm late?"
Rei glared at Usagi disapprovingly, "Once."
The clumsy teenager smile brightened even more if possible, "Alright then! Where's the broom?"
As the girl bounded off, Rei pulled out her cell phone and punched in a number.
"Okay, I'll try to delay her as long as possible."
Without even a "Goodbye", Rei hung up.
-flash-
"Mama, I'm home!" Usagi called, her voice ringing in the living room of the house.
She frowned at the silence that greeted her. Taking off her shoes, she placed them to one side before continuing towards the kitchen where a single light was shining.
"Mama? Shingo? Dad?"
Still no response. The girl sighed before rounding a corner and entering the kitchen.
"Why didn't you guys answer..." Usagi froze, her eyes widened in shock, "...me..."
The kitchen tiles were red. Red with blood. The blood of her family. The three bodies lay sprawled in the middle of the floor, the table having been shoved off to the side. Stumbling forward, Usagi ignored the sickening splats as her bare feet hit the puddles of blood.
"Mama? Dad? Shingo?"
The first two were still, their rapidly cooling corpses numb to her touch. But the third was still alive. Barely.
"Onee-chan..."
Tears dripped from crystalline blue eyes as Usagi gathered Shingo's body in her arms, "Oh gods, Shingo, we need to get you to a hospital."
The boy shook his head slowly, "I-It's too late, onee-chan. Mom...and Dad...send their love..."
"Shh...don't talk." Usagi murmured mournfully, "I'll find a way to save you. I'll use the Ginzuishou and save you."
She had told him months ago that she was Sailor Moon, of course he had been sworn to secrecy. No need for Tsukino Kenji to worry anymore than he already did, right?
"He took it with him." Shingo choked out.
"Who?"
"Mamoru...gomen ne...Usa-chan..."
More tears spilled down her cheeks as she hugged his body even closer, "I swear I'll get him." she whispered.
"Onee-chan...I've always loved you..." Shingo rasped, "I'm sorry...for all the pranks."
"I forgive you, squirt." Usagi replied, "And I love you too."
"Good."
And those were the last words he ever said and would ever speak again. Trembling with both sorrow and rage, Usagi gently set his body on the tiled floor. She reached for the phone and dialed 9-1-1, not caring that she left blood marks on the plastic.
"Hello, this is 9-1-1, how may I help you?"
"They're dead." Usagi whispered softly, "I need the police."
"Alright, ma'am, the police will be there as soon as possible. They're already on their way. May I have your name?"
But the phone had been dropped and Usagi was already out the door, her eyes glittering with tears even as a power stirred deep within her. She had to find them. The inner senshi. Her boyfriend. She had to find them and extract revenge.
-flash-
"Usagi, you're covered in blood!" Rei shrieked as the girl approached the shrine, "And what did you do to your eyes and hair? What happened?"
The girl lifted her head, silver meeting violet, "Don't act as if you don't know, Rei-chan."
The senshi of Mars backed away, her hand scrambling for her transformation pen even as she suspected that Usagi truly knew her part in the murder, "Mars Crystal Power Make Up!"
She never had the chance to transform as the wrath of a girl betrayed bore down upon her body.
-flash-
"Usagi, I heard what happened!" Mamoru exclaimed as he quickly opened his apartment door, letting her in, "You must have run straight over here from the shrine. Rei called me-"
"Rei's dead." Usagi stated coolly as the image of her blonde self wavered and was replaced by her silvery one, "And so are Ami, Minako, and Makoto."
"U-Usa-gi?" Mamoru stuttered, eyes widening in shock and horror.
"Why did you do it?" Usagi asked softly, the air around her crackling.
"Do what?"
"Why did you kill them?!?" her shriek echoed through the hallway as she dove at him.
Mamoru grabbed her and slammed her against the wall, eyes darkening with anger, "Because they occupied too much of your time, Usako." he hissed, leaning down so that his mouth was by her ear, "I didn't like it. Neither did the senshi. You should have been concentrating on creating the Silver Millennium."
"For that?" Usagi snarled, "You killed my family for that!"
Silver power pushed away the physically stronger Mamoru before enveloping him in a pillar of white fire. His screams rang through the apartment as he was slowly burned alive. When his screams died, all that was left was fine ash and the ghastly smell of burning flesh. Tears stinging her eyes, Usagi left to be picked up on the highway hours later by a police trooper looking for her.
Left behind, Chiba Kivardi trembled from his spot out of view in the bedroom.
--end flashback--
"Yes. I was there." Kivardi ground out, eyes flashing with hate and lust at the same time.
"Then you know what I can do." Usagi snarled, unbound hair rising eerily around her body, "Let Duo go, now. This is the last time I'll tell you."
Kivardi shook his head mockingly, "Anything you launch at me will hit him first. You wouldn't want to kill him now, would you?"
"No, I don't." Usagi murmured, eyes flicking to Duo's before moving back to Kivardi's.
"Of course not, sweetie." Kivardi smiled triumphantly, "So I do believe we'll have to compromise, won't we? I can't give 02 to you because he's my shield. And you can't launch that lovely fireball in your hand because he's my shield."
Usagi laughed, the sound tinkling through his quarters, startling both Kivardi and Duo. Mirth shining in her eyes, she held up the spinning energy in her hands.
"I don't need to compromise with you." Usagi smiled a smile that never reached her eyes, "Not when I can do this."
Green eyes widened with shock as she calmly aimed and tossed the fizzing ball of power at both Kivardi and Duo. The Oz general gaped as his impending doom drew closer and closer.
"But-"
"But what?" Usagi questioned softly as the orb flew through the air and hit Duo head on.
The pilot of Deathscythe had closed his eyes, resigned to his fate, as the energy hit him. For a split second, his world went black and he felt a power stir deep inside of him like a snake unraveling. But then that second passed even as the energy passed through his body and came in contact with the man behind him.
A tortured shriek was wrested from Kivardi's throat as he involuntarily dropped Duo and fell to the ground, writhing in pain as the energy sank into his body. Meanwhile, Duo had fallen too from his lack of support. Before he hit the ground however, Usagi had darted forward and caught him. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she ignored the screaming man just inches away and focused on the person in her arms.
"Oh god, Duo, are you alright?" Usagi questioned frantically, eyes flashing with worry and sorrow.
Duo winced, "I'm fine. But what the hell happened to you?"
Usagi shook her head before gently laying him onto the floor and placing both of her hands on his chest. A single tear slid down her face to land unnoticed on the floor.
"This'll only hurt for a second, 'kay?" Usagi whispered softly, her hands glowing with silvery-blue power.
White hot agony flashed through his body as she healed him. Only his training kept him from screaming as cuts mended in milliseconds while broken and cracked bones took a few seconds longer. Bruises faded with rapid speed and the swelling black eye quickly receded.
And then it was all over and Duo's eyes flew open to find Usagi collapsed on top of him, her small form racked with dry sobs. With extra care, Duo picked her up gently, cradling her shuddering figure to his chest as he exited the room, leaving behind the dead corpse of Chiba Kivardi.
The base had long since emptied, panicking soldiers running and escaping into space. With every step, Duo's violet eyes saddened as he viewed the mass murder Usagi had performed. She didn't deserve this. She should never have been placed in such a situation that had pushed her to killing.
"I'm sorry." Usagi whispered and Duo couldn't help but notice how small and lost her voice seemed, "I shouldn't have killed them."
Duo glanced down at his precious burden as they retraced Usagi's path, "You didn't have a choice. It's kill or be killed out here."
"I didn't have to kill them." Usagi said pitifully, "But I lost control."
"It's alright." Duo reassured softly, "It happens to the best of us."
"Does it?"
And Duo was at a loss for an answer. Should he "stretch the truth" or not? But he had been silent too long.
"I see." Usagi murmured sadly, burrowing her face into Duo's shirt.
Silence surrounded them as Duo finally made it into the hangar where Usagi had left SilverWing and, consequently, where Deathscythe had been located. He stopped upon seeing Usagi's Gundam.
"Leave it here."
Duo glanced down surprised as Usagi turned her head to look at the Gundam, "What?"
"I don't want it anymore." Usagi whispered, "It's fulfilled its purpose and I don't need it."
"But we can't leave it here, all that technology-"
"Destroy it with your Gundam then." Usagi answered.
Duo glanced at the Gundam then back at Usagi. He opened his mouth to object when Usagi cut him off again.
"Please?"
And just like that, he caved. With a sigh, he helped her into Deathscythe, making sure she was settled in before seating himself into the piloting chair. Humming, Deathscythe powered up and within moments they had left the Oz base, leaving behind a thoroughly destroyed Gundam.
"Duo?"
Said pilot turned to look at Usagi who lay curled up on the floor behind him, "Yes, Usa-chan?"
"Do you hate me now?"
Pain flitted across his violet orbs as he stared at her, his answer was barely above a whisper, "I could never hate you, Usa-chan."
"Duo, you can't go back." Usagi whispered softly, "To the pilots, I mean. Because of me."
Duo set the Gundam on auto-pilot before turning his chair around. His heart nearly broke at how fragile and vulnerable she seemed at the moment. He picked her up and settled her in his lap, stroking her hair as if she were a child. Which, in a sense, she was. This Usagi was a child who had been forced to grow up too fast. Much like him.
"I don't mind not going back." Duo whispered, "I'll be fine as long as I have you."
He watched, silent, as the silver dissipated, leaving behind a sleeping girl-child in its wake.
~*~
Elsewhere, Haruka cursed and was gently reprimanded by Michiru. They had arrived at the Oz base too late and now their sense of her had vanished.
Hotaru stood in the room of Kivardi's death, her hand brushing the floor lightly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. They had come looking for Usagi. But there was another presence as well.
And only one thought passed through her mind. Had he really been here?
AN: ...I'm not quite sure if I liked how this chapter turned out. I rewrote the beginning so many times it's not even funny. The rest just kinda came out over the course of a week or two. Please review and tell me if you thought this chapter was okay because it was really quite hard for me. Especially with all the conversations and stuff.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.