Chapter 29
Shin crested the hill he'd seen Shuu disappear over, panting and at a run.
He admitted he'd been a bit lethargic today, but Shuu had seemed more than up to the task of running after their mishaps and…well playing the entire field almost. Shin flushed as he paused at the top of the hill, catching his breath and scanning for Shuu as he heard the other Troopers running up behind him. He vowed to really put more energy and effort into their get-togethers. So far, he'd let Shuu carry them, and that was an unfair burden to put on Kongo. Shin liked the time he spent with the other Troopers, and he needed to stop moping when they were all together.
He spotted Shuu almost immediately, and the panic in his chest eased, letting him pull air into his lungs easily. The bearer of Kongo was squatting beside a bench for some reason, and when Shin took in more detail he felt his insides freeze again.
A woman who looked remarkably like Usagi Tsukino was laid out on the bench, her hair just sort of everywhere.
"Is that…?" he heard Seiji mutter beside him, trailing off as if afraid to continue out loud. Shin nodded, and then took off at a dead run, his heart hammering as he bolted down the hill, skidding to a stop at Shuu's side, sending grass flying.
"Shuu – " he nearly yelled, leaning in to get a better view. Kongo turned, fixing him with a panicked look.
"What is she doing here?" he whispered, his voice small. "I can't even tell if she's breathing." Shin put a hand on Shuu's shoulder and gave him a good shake.
"It's all right. we'll figure this out," he said firmly. Inside, he was still trying to come to terms with what he was looking at.
This was Usagi.
She looked terrible.
And she was alone.
"Have we seen anyone else? Anyone nearby?" he asked gently as he rose, making his way over towards the side of the bench where her head lay. He crouched down, and with two gentle fingers, searched for a pulse in her neck. She didn't react to his touch, but she was warm. He watched her body carefully, noting the tiny rise and fall of her abdomen that indicated she was breathing.
She was alive. She felt real enough. She seemed authentic, but a small part of Shin's brain cautioned him that it could be a trap. He hated to even consider it, but none of this made sense.
"There isn't anyone else. At least not close by," Touma said then, sounding slightly out of breath.
That presented its own worry. What if the Senshi were here too, but scattered? What if Usagi was being used as a lure? Why else would she be here, alone and helpless?
It didn't matter, Shin decided. They could only act on what they knew. What they knew right now was that Usagi was in rough shape, appeared to be alone, and in their dimension for some reason.
And if someone had set a trap for the Troopers with Usagi as live bait, Shin was fairly sure whoever it was wouldn't to live to regret it for long. They'd eat them for breakfast. Shuu might do that all on his own, without anyone's help.
He realized he hadn't said anything aloud and Shuu was still staring at him anxiously. "She's alive, but seems weak," he confirmed, standing. Kongo's shoulders sagged with reassurance and Shin squeezed the shoulder nearest to him, giving the man a solid pat on the back.
"Obviously, she needs help. If we're not seeing anyone else nearby, I think we should assume she's alone, and act accordingly," he added. Shuu rose as well, hands clenched into fists again.
"What do we do? Should we take her to a hospital? She looks like she needs a doctor," he said, sounding much too uncertain. Shin wasn't sure how to handle a Shuu that wasn't confident to the point of arrogance.
Touma shook his head grimly. "No hospitals. Not unless there's nothing else we can do. We have no idea what might turn up in blood tests or….anywhere else," Tenku advised. "That…entity mentioned that the Senshi were mostly human. I don't really know what that means in terms of things like medical treatment. But we do know that the Senshi's capabilities seemed to be tied to their own life forces. So a hospital might be a risk."
Beside him, Seiji nodded. They all stared at each other for a moment, at a loss.
Ryo inhaled a small, sharp breath, his jaw clenched. "Call Nasuti. She'll probably know what to do," he grit out. "She always does." It didn't take a genius to understand that Ryo was upset about the same thing eating at all of them.
Usagi was here, but no one else was. Shin remembered the passion he'd seen in Rei's eyes any time Usagi's safety had come into question. The Senshi would never just leave Usagi this way. So…what had happened to them? Why weren't they here? If they were nearby…how did they find them? Were they safe? Were they all right?
And if they weren't nearby, where were they?
He was loathe to consider an answer to those questions. And thinking about it now would just prevent him from getting Usagi the help she needed.
"We can bring her to my place. It's closest I think, and we can call Nasuti from there," he offered. He also had a vast first aid kit that he kept in his apartment for use on marine research trips. Or maybe kept just in case something like this happened to one of the Troopers.
He just liked to be prepared.
Between himself, Seiji, and Ryo, they probably had quite a bit of varied first aid expertise, and that would at least be enough to get them started. Shuu moved to scoop Usagi up but he halted him with a hand up.
"Hold on. We need to check for broken bones before we move her," he advised. Seiji nodded, he and Ryo moving in close. Carefully, they checked for anything that would prevent them from moving her or any other life-threatening injuries. He was relieved when they didn't find anything, but he wasn't exactly thrilled with what he did notice. Rekka and Korin bore similarly somber expressions on their faces.
"All right Shuu. Get her up. Let's get her out of here," he nodded at the bearer of Kongo, stepping back. Carefully, Shuu stooped, getting his arms beneath her securely and lifting her as if she might be made of delicate crystal. Shin gathered her hair, ignoring how soft it felt as he twisted it around itself and carefully placed it over her shoulder, folding it on top of her as Shuu carried her.
The woman had a lot of hair. It was surprisingly heavy.
They all cast cautious, furtive looks around them as they moved in the direction of his apartment. He could tell Shuu was dying to bolt, but they all kept their steps steady and pace even. They didn't need to be drawing any attention to themselves, and carrying an unconscious woman as striking as Usagi was already bound to attract some notice. They walked in a pack, surrounding her, and, Shin hoped, sheltering her from view.
He pulled ahead as they approached his apartment building, using his key to open the door for them and then running ahead to summon the elevator. They all waited in silence, clustered around the doors, faces grim as they watched the polished brass display count down the numbers that tracked the elevator's progress to the ground floor.
The chime dinged cheerfully, and the brass doors opened with a smooth, hydraulic hiss.
Wordlessly, they all piled in, careful not to jostle Shuu's cargo. The doors snapped shut, and then they were on their way up. It felt like no less than two decades before they made it up to the 14th floor. Shin hustled in front of the pack again, keys jingling as he located the right one and jabbed it into his lock. He turned, taking the group in as they made their way down the hall.
They were grim. Shuu's gaze stayed glued to Usagi's face, looking for signs of discomfort or wakefulness. Seiji, Ryo, and Touma had taken point in tight formation around him as he walked, their faces set in stone as they moved. They held their bodies with the strange stiff flexibility of a warrior - tense and battle-ready. Fists clenched but muscles limber.
He ushered them in, gesturing them towards the couch. Shuu laid her down carefully and then sat on the floor next to her head, anxiety carved into his features. He took one of her limp hands in his own. "How bad is she?" he asked in a low voice.
Seiji pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a moment.
"That's the issue. She's injured sure, but nothing that would make her this weak. I don't like it," he replied stiffly. "I'll call Nasuti," he offered, heading for Shin's kitchen area.
"Whatever it is, my guess is that it's related to the Crystal," Touma said quietly, gesturing to the alarmingly lifeless gem hanging from around her neck. "I don't know what you guys think, but I don't remember it looking that way," he added. Shuu nodded.
"Yeah. I was thinking that too. She must have used it too much, huh?" he murmured, his stare intense as he watched her, burning with a fierce collection of emotions Shin couldn't completely interpret. The rims of his eyes looked...glassy. Shin felt his own heart lurch in his chest for both Shuu and Usagi.
Seiji appeared back in the living room. "Nasuti says to bring her out to her place. She should be safe there until we figure out what's going on."
They all nodded solemnly, then turned to look at Seiji.
He looked uncomfortable with the attention, crossing his arms.
"What?" he asked defensively.
"Time to rent a van, and guess who's driving?" Ryo said with a dark grin.
