I think that I should start by thanking everyone who corrected the mistake I made with the Chinese. ^-^; Aya-chan wa baka desu! Hehehe!
I just wrote what my friend told me to! Yes, she's about to die a very slow and painful death. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!
Heeros Bunny - @_@ I'm sorry... ;__;
Infinity Serenity - Killed? Hmmm? Who? *innocent look*
Ki - Well there was this one fic that I had on my fave stories list, but it NEVER got updated and Usagi and Tasuki didn't even get together yet! Waaaaah! (I'm attempting to write one right now though. -_-;)
Damia - Queen of the Gypsi's - 9 out of 10? Hey, pretty good! With my spelling and grammar, I'd give myself 7/10! lol!
Sailor Grape - Uh...temporary lapse of memory? Err...Usagi was too distracted by Heero's male goodness? (Ack! Did I just say that??? 0_o) Hopefully this chapter will make amends! Or...not....
The Missing Soldier
Chapter 10 – Don't let this be goodbye
By: Aya aka Lady of Earth
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon are not mine!!!!!!
He skidded around the corner, thankful that he had yet faced one soldier. He cursed the obvious lack of security around the place and heaven knows he never curses. He pushed himself to run faster, although keeping in mind that anyone might leap out of nowhere or a shot might just rip through the night...and through him.
They were vulnerable and they were unprepared. How he hated not being able to sense an impending danger. He relied on his empathic abilities to sense any oncoming soldier, but for some strange reason, even though he knew they were in the building, he couldn't exactly sense them.
He picked up on the emotions of his friends easily, the dread that was uniform to all of them, the worry emitting in waves from Wufei—this nearly through him off balance—which caused much concern, the helplessness that Mina was feeling, the need to protect everyone that came from Duo, the anger that was building inside of Heero, the awareness of danger that Trowa had and lastly, the one that concerned him most, defeat from Usagi.
One of the things he didn't associate with the blonde was defeat. She had fought her way through hell just to get Heero back. She had risked her life trying to contact the four other former pilots, even after dead ends after dead ends. She never gave up.
But this...it wasn't the time or the place. They've gotten this far. There was no way Quatre was going to let Usagi give up on them all. Never. That determination in the small blond drove him to move faster, feet flying across tile floors, even as he gripped the gun tightly.
A familiar feel was drawing near and he wore a grim smile on his face as two corridors meet and he found himself running beside Heero.
"Any troubles?" Quatre managed, even though they were running.
"Not yet." It was amazing how Heero could reply in a monotone even though he was running. Yet, it should be of no surprise. He is, after all, the infamous Perfect Soldier. Missing in action for a while, yet he remained who he was.
"I'm worried." He suddenly said in a small voice, glancing at Heero.
"She's losing hope." Heero said, voice faltering slightly.
"How did you-"
"I don't know. But I can feel it." Well, there were some things in this world that cannot be explained. A bond like that of Heero and Usagi being one of them. "Trowa?"
"We'll come across him at the end of this hallway."
"Damn Relena." Cursed Heero. "What is with all these hallways?"
"A fascination perhaps?" A new, but not unfamiliar voice spoke up. Heero nodded at the other pilot.
"How much longer until we get to them?"
"Turn right at the end of this hallway."
Duo didn't like the odds and he especially didn't like it when a civilian is caught in the middle of all of this. He glanced at Minako and was surprised that the blonde wasn't shaking or sobbing uncontrollably. It was clear that she was frightened, but it was also clear that she wasn't going to give up. Nope, she's not going down without a fight.
Mina knows she's not Usagi, but she is after all, related to Michiru. Not to mention the fact that she's also close to her, which meant she visited often, which meant she was constantly exposed to Haruka. If there's anything Haruka is good at, that's teaching someone how to fight. And Mina had her share of training session with the wild blonde.
"How's it looking so far, Usagi?"
"I'm guessing they've got the compound secured by now." Usagi said grimly. "What about Relena?"
"No idea where she is." Wufei muttered. "Come to think of it, I don't see any signs of the guards either."
"They're all dead." Stated Usagi, with the same grim tone she used before.
"How do you know that the Vice foreign minister didn't bail out on us?" There was a small laugh emitting from Minako.
"Maxwell-san, do you honestly think that Darlian-san is really that smart?" She said lightly. This drew a smile from the other three. "She might be a cold and calculating woman, but she is still human enough to be a complete airhead when it comes to Yuy-san."
There was a brief exchange of looks between Usagi and Minako before the latter continued on her thread. "You all misjudge her, you know." She smiled ruefully. "She might act without a thought when it comes to Yuy-san. And it might seem to you that she has no common sense whatsoever...But she might surprise you with how smart she actually is." She let out a humorless laugh. "Any woman who is able to have a country wrapped around her fingers has to be smart. Or really, really lucky."
"I think it's both." Muttered Duo.
"Heero!" Exclaimed Usagi, seeing the other three.
"Winner, you and Barton sure took your time getting here." Commented Wufei.
"Why are you just standing around here? Why aren't you moving?" Demanded Heero.
"Exits are all blocked." Usagi replied quickly.
"How do you know?" Asked Quatre, slightly breathless.
"I know." Blue eyes were cold and hard as she looked at the person who can be considered as her male counterpart, looks-wise.
"We can't stay here, we've got to find a way out, somehow." Muttered Duo.
"Hotaru is still upstairs." Wufei whispered softly.
"What?" Usagi turned around to look at him.
"I didn't want her hurt, I made her hide in her closet." Minako blinked a couple of times, then suddenly frowned.
"There's one exit!"
"What? Where?" Chorused from the others.
"I-I think it's upstairs, not too far from Hotaru's room." She bit her lip, trying to remember. "I don't know where it is exactly, but I know it's in Relena-san's office somewhere."
"All of us have secret passages wherever we live, it seems." Duo said with a grin, winking at Usagi. The blonde managed a smile, thankful, after all, for that passage that had saved her life as well as Duo's.
"They'll find us, you do realize that." Wufei said grimly, even as they headed up the stairs.
"Mina?" The blonde in question closed her eyes, cringing slightly.
"If they've made it this far, I don't doubt that they'll find us soon. But it will at least give us a head start." She looked hopefully around at the others. She knew that it was hopeless, but there was no sense in stomping the last bit of hope that they had left.
By the time they reached the stairs, Wufei made a mad dash to Hotaru's room. He re-emerged, practically a second later, with the young girl in his arms. She looked frightened, but managed to put on a brave front, for her sake as well as for the others.
But Usagi took one look at her and then at them all and voiced what the others were thinking, "We won't make it."
"Of course we will!" Exclaimed Duo, but even his cheerful voice wavered and the smile that he had on was so strained that it was far too obvious that he was faking it.
"Go." Usagi whispered quietly, causing all gazes to be directed at her. One firm Prussian blue in particular was glaring, as he normally does. She turned her sad gaze towards him.
"He wants me. Only me [1]." She whispered.
"Minako-san?" Quatre asked, his voice slightly snappish, unintentionally so. The other blonde snapped to attention, flinching slightly when she nodded, hesitantly.
"It's true." She confirmed quietly, avoiding Heero's glare, which undoubtedly shifted towards her.
"You know what we have to do, Heero." Quatre said, as gentle as possible.
"No." A defiant glare and then one full of accusation at Minako, before it returned, rather desperately, to Usagi.
"You owe me, Yuy." She said, smiling softly. "I saved you, remember? Save me and we're even."
"I'm not leaving you." He stated firmly, yet the others easily detected the waver in his voice.
"Usagi-san, are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" A cool voice asked firmly. Ebony eyes were fixed on her and deliberately ignoring Heero's, the burden in his arms fidgeted slightly. Hotaru clearly wanted to protest, but nothing she could say would change the outcome. Usagi was infamous for being stubborn.
"Yes, I am."
"You're out-voted, Yuy." Wufei snapped, although he really didn't want to hand over the blonde so easily to the enemy. But they didn't have a choice. They had to retreat now; they will be killed if they were all captured.
"Usa-" Soft fingers were placed over his lips, effectively silencing him.
"Please, Heero?" She begged. "Go now and then come for me later. I'll wait for you, I swear!" Anguish, an emotion that has never been appeared on those Prussian blues, almost moved Usagi to tears. But she knew she had to take a stand. There was no way on Earth—or hell—for them to escape, if not like this.
She was about to open her mouth, to try once more, when to her surprise, she found lips pressing hard against her own. The kiss was harsh, desperate and so incredibly Heero that she would have broke down.
"I will find you." He whispered against her lips, before pulling away almost immediately. He whipped around, not even waiting for an answer, for he knew that if she said another word, he would change his mind.
Her eyes closed, even as the others followed Heero's lead. As she stood alone in that hallway, awaiting her fate, she couldn't help the dread that settled in the pit of her stomach.
'Please don't let this be goodbye.' She prayed silently, tears falling at last, as she heard the last of their footsteps. And a few seconds later, she heard the heavy thumps of the soldiers that had come for her.
Note:
[1] Shamelessly taken from "Practical Magic" Any of you seen the movie? It's a wonderful movie, I love Nicole Kidman. And Goran Visnic (I think I spelled his name wrong. lol)
A thousand apologies for the delay! And a thousand more for the short chapter! I've been swamped by schoolwork! And by death threats from various friends that demanded the next chapter to this. ^^;
Hopefully the next chapter will return to the usual length. Oh, Sai aka Hotohori will return! And wait for Tasuki's entrance! *squeals* I love my Gen-chan! *hugs Tasuki*