Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah I don't own Sailor Moon, Blah Blah, or Gundam Wing Blah Blah Blah. But Oh how I wish I did. I'd be typing on a bigger laptop. That's for sure.

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Fuseiseki : Failure

Chapter Two : Waiting for the End

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She opened her eyes to a harsh voice that stung her ears. "Get up woman." The man before her freezing cold cot wasn't young, but couldn't really be classified as old either. His eyes were a cool green, and his mouth was set in a grim line. Just the movement of sitting up made her body ache, but she pulled herself into the position with all the strength she could muster. "You are to be taken to the interrogation room."

Usagi's voice was low and scratchy when she spoke. "Where am I?"

"Get up." Instead of answering her, he wrenched her forcibly to her knees with a quick hand on her wrist. She couldn't help the whimper of pain. In her weakened state, all she could do was try to stay on her feet as he dragged her out the door and down the hall. It didn't take long for him to get to his destination, and when he did, he unceremoniously tossed her into another cold room. This one however, was bathed in harsh yellow light, and two other guards waited inside. The door slammed behind her, as she gasped for the breath she'd lost hitting the ground. Her side burned with fervor, but she looked up at the two men with watery silver eyes. She didn't understand. Why was she here? Who were these men, dressed in peculiar uniforms? They were black, with white edging, the chests set with a small symbol she couldn't decipher with blurry vision.

One of the men, a burly brunette with hard brown eyes, grabbed her arm tightly and shoved her into a metal chair that occupied the middle of the room. It had been behind the other man, a burly blonde. She hadn't known it was there until the cold metal touched her skin. She watched with careful eyes, biting her tongue as the blonde used zip-ties to tie her arms and legs to said chair, the ties so tight she could feel the slow beat of her own pulse.

"Who do you work for?" The light was focused on she and the chair, and she had to squint to see the speaker. It was the brunette. English. They spoke English. So far that was all she knew.

"I don't work for anyone." She cried out almost involuntarily as his hand came fast to her face, tasted her own blood in her mouth, sour and metallic.

"You expect us to believe that?" He sneered. Wiping the blood from her mouth off his hand and onto his pristine black pants. "We know you work for someone. No one knows where this base is. Yet you attacked it last night. We want to know who you work for, and where your weapon is!"

She spit the blood that was filling her mouth on the floor before her, slumped over in pain. Her side was bleeding through the bandages and the shirt she wore. Her head spun form the blow to her face. She could feel her lips bruising. Attacked? The last thing she remembered... The pain in her chest exploded so suddenly that for a moment nothing else existed. She remembered death. The death of her dearest friends. And the very last moments with Chaos. Nothing beyond that. Besides waking up in that cell. She had attacked their base? Who were they? She was cut off by another sharp slap to the face. Gasping, she turned hurt silver eyes on her attacker. They hardened to a dull gray as he watched.

"I don't have any weapon. And if I did I certainly wouldn't give it to you." She spit blood again, felt the bruise forming on her cheek. "So either kill me or let me go."

At this the hulking man suddenly seemed unsure. Walking briskly to the back of the room where Blondie was waiting, he whispered in his ear. They seemed to come to a mutual agreement, and with clippers he'd been hiding in his breast pocket, Blondie cut her loose. Mr. shit brown eyes gripped her arm painfully, and she was dragged yet again to her cold prison, and thrown onto the cot with unnecessary force.

...

That was only the first time they came for her. She couldn't count the days. Since there was no window in her cell, she couldn't even be sure if it was dark or light on the multiple times they dragged her from her room and interrogated her. The bruises seemed permanent. The clothes they had given her were worn and crusted with blood. And though she had no answers for them, they still seemed to think one day she would break. One day she would cave. At first she thought to fight. But that prospect had faded quickly, unlike the bruises that decorated her small frame.

She had learned, through these interrogations and through whispers in the hallway, that she had been captured by a faction that called themselves Tenshu. She had blanched at the name. It was japanese, and translated to God. Strange seeing as all the men she had met had spoken English. At closer inspection of the odd uniforms her captives wore, she had seen the sparkling insignia of white angel wings emblazoned on their chests. Stranger still. Whoever led them had a mighty ego. She had gathered other things too. Her arrival was said to be accompanied with a flash of bright white light, and the destruction of half of their barracks. Her crash landing had killed 12 people. It saddened her to think so. She couldn't be sure what had transpired. But whatever it was had landed her here. She had also learned that she was in Tokyo, Japan, on Earth, and that the year was A.C. 198. What that meant, she could not entirely be sure. There was a chance that the power of her crystal had ripped an opening in time. It was only a theory she mulled over infrequently. She supposed it didn't matter. She wasn't going anywhere. Her crystal was gone, and there was no one left to aid her. No one left at all.

She took a moment to curse the fates. From one lion's den into another. It seemed her suffering would never end. The anger was short. Something she had no energy for. If she'd had a mirror, she's guessed her face would resemble nothing of the person she once was. She'd rid the world of the ultimate enemy, but here she stood in her metal cage, defeated. Not dead yet. But close.

She glanced up languidly as a tray was pushed under the door. The opening that allowed it's entrance was bolted again, immediately, and sighing, she crawled over to it. They brought the same thing every day, once a day. A loaf of wheat bread, and a cup of water. At first she refused to eat, afraid of poison. But soon hunger and thirst won out, and she realized the food, while bland, was fine. They didn't want to poison her. They wanted her alive to interrogate. Still, she took only a few bites of the bread, washing it down with all the lukewarm water. When this was done, she leaned against the far wall of her cell, letting the cool walls soothe her aches.

She had told them nothing. There was nothing to tell. As if they'd believe she was a deity of the moon who had accidentally crash landed on their base. Her heart throbbed. No, a deity of the moon no longer. Not without her court, without her crystal. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She raised a hand to her chest to try to still the pain. It was numbing slowly. Ever so slowly. When she did rest, infrequently, she still saw the rage in their eyes when they had attacked her, still felt the heaviness in her chest as she'd been forced to retaliate. And the nightmare always ended over their lifeless bodies. Mamoru's wasn't there. She was thankful for that. He'd been in America when Chaos had reared his ugly head. She had felt the moment that he died. She remembered Chaos laughing in her face then, still harboring the body of the beautiful Galaxia. Mamoru hadn't been able to transform. He died human. Buried Human. She didn't know if she was envious or humbled. It was unusual for him to be unprepared. But she supposed they all had been. So unprepared. It was weeks earlier that he'd told her he'd fallen in love with a girl in America. The scouts had perhaps been more surprised than she was. Serenity and Endymion had been in love, Usagi and Mamoru were not. Yes, she had loved him. She mourned him still. He had been her best friend. Her most loyal protector. She was almost glad they'd both gotten such a weighty thing off their chests before...before his untimely end. She wondered morbidly when her's would finally come.

There was so much she wished she could say to all of them. Her mind spun fast and she felt dizzy for a moment, but she pushed away the feeling, focusing on the smiling faces of the friends in her memory. She wished she could tell Rei how strong she'd made her. Or tell Ami how much she appreciated all the extra time she spent helping her with her studies. It all seemed so far away now. She wanted to tell Mako how good it felt to hear her voice say for the hundredth time "He look's like my old koi..." and let her dear Mina know that her cheer never failed to be contagious. Goddess she missed them.

She longed for a moment, to hear Haruka calling her Koneko, and hear Michiru's soft laugh as she scolded her koi yet again for being rash. Wanted to feel Hota-chan's soft hand in hers. And Chibi-Usa. Oh, how she longed to hold her tight in her arms one last time. Even Mamoru. Though they had decided to part, she feverently wished to see his smile again. It had all slipped through her fingers. Too fast.

It was so hard to let them go. She sufficed to sit on her small cot, awash in the memories of a time when things were much simpler, and she had those she held dear within her grasp.

...

It was hours before she was interrupted by a face appearing at the small window in her prison door. It was one she did not recognize. She knew her guards names now. The brunette was Surashvili. The blonde Palo. This boy was younger than both of them, with short brown hair and eyes of dark blue. She didn't like the look in them.

"I told you Toshimura. She's here." He turned to speak to someone else, and then the latch to her door clanked loudly, and he and another younger boy with black hair and blue eyes stepped into the room. He was the first person she'd seen that looked remotely japanese. She eyed them warily. "Just look at her. Lieutenant Palo was right. She's a looker. even with the bruises." His eyes were hungry.

The other boy stood at the door, looking around the hallway as if for someone to interrupt. he glanced at her sidelong. The look in his eyes did not comfort her. But then, what did in this drab place? She turned her eyes back to the first boy, who was moving closer to her, and had enough sense to back further away from him, her eyes hard.

"Oooh. Lookit her Toshimura. Looks scared." The boy at the door huffed quietly, crossing his arms.

"Stop running your mouth and get done what we came here for Tyler. Before someone comes back." He said, his voice cold. It warmed in the next instant. " I want my turn with her." The fear rose instantly in her chest. She knew what they'd come for, and she'd be damned if they'd take her without a fight. Tyler reached for her wrist, his excitement already showing through his black slacks, and she kicked at him with all her strength.

The problem was there was not much of her strength left. By her count of the trays she's gotten, one per day, she'd been here for three long weeks. With little food and without her crystal, she was no match for even one of these boy's, let alone two. The boy called Tyler had her pinned beneath him on her ratty cot in mere moments.

"Iie..." She pleaded. Which only earned her a slap across the face. As her ripped her clothes from her body she found she had no tears left to cry. No voice left to speak. She was trapped in hell. She was broken beyond repair. She made no sound as he had his way with her, and did not move when he switched places with is friend. Just stared blankly at the ceiling, trying hard to think of nothing but happier times.

When they left, she gathered her torn clothing and tugged it back on, opting to curl on the floor instead of the bloodied and dirtied cot. She lied and told herself she was alright, but she wished they'd just kill her.

...

"Did everyone get the message from Noin?" Quatre said this quietly. The meeting room he and the gundam pilots were in was small, and the noise carried easily. There was a short nod from each of the men. "Then we are agreed to carry through with this mission?"

Duo was the first to speak. " Anyone who can blow a hole in one of Tenshu's biggest bases and survive is alright by me." His smile would have been contagious, but the current occupants of the room did not catch on by any means.

"I still don't believe it's an Onna." Wufei said, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"Whether Onna or not." Quatre said with exasperation. Wufei never quit. Even after all this time being with Sally. "This girl is a potential Ally. The reports say she hasn't given any information since her attack on the base, though she has been very harshly interrogated. We stand to gain valuable knowledge by rescuing her. We haven't even been able to get near the Tokyo base til now."

"Noin has surveillance on the base?" Trowa spoke for the first time, his one visible green eye locking on Quatre.

Quatre nodded. "Yes. Her scouts have told her that the base has been all but cleared out due to the damage done. But it seems the computers have not been moved yet. We also stand to gather some valuable intelligence by carrying out this mission."

Hiiro stood, and Quatre's eyes turned to him. "Enough talk." His voice was as monotonous and cold as ever. "We leave at 2400 hours." With that he left to prepare, and slowly, the rest of the pilots filed after him. When they had all exited the room, Quatre allowed himself to sink into one of the plush rolling chairs that surrounded their conference table. Head in his hands, he took this alone time to ponder their situation.

He hadn't seen his comrades so worked up in a long time. This faction, Tenshu, which Trowa had told him translated to God, was really becoming worrisome. It had been so long since they'd had a real threat, he'd almost relaxed. He had been settling into running the many facets of the Winner Corporation when Wufei had called him.

Since Wufei and Hiiro had been with the Preventers following the incident of Maremeia, they had been the first to become familiar with the faction known as Tenshu. They had called upon Trowa, Duo, and himself when the numbers of their company rose, and they began to threaten the peace they had fought so hard to achieve. Again, it was happening. He ran his hands over his eyes, hard, blurring his own vision for a moment. Would it ever end?

Trowa had been at the circus, and Duo was busy rebuilding the church he'd stayed in as a child on L2. Projects that had kept them both busy. Duo was his normal cheerful self, and even Trowa had opened up a bit more. He had seen them at lengths in the past year, for short visits. It pained them to see the tension of oncoming war set in their shoulders again. Even Wufei seemed uneasy. He'd softened a bit during his time with Sally. He knew he was uneasy himself... But Hiiro. He never changed. Always ready for a mission.

Standing, he brushed his platinum locks out of his eyes. It had grown longer. And he had grown taller. Perhaps it was time for a haircut. Sighing, he exited the room through the same door the others had, and carried on down the hall to ready his things for the mission.

...

No one had come today. She didn't know if she should be grateful for that or not. There was a hush through the large building she was occupied in that was unsettling. She decided to ignore it. It had been a day since her encounter with the boys. Or at least that's what she surmised. Time escaped her here.

It was a fight to keep her sanity. She clung to images of her past, all the while scolding herself for not trying harder to escape. She was hopeless, helpless. There was nothing left to live for. This was the excuse she gave herself, and Goddess it was working. She daydreamed of Crystal Tokyo, of her friends as Queens, of love and peace. The part of her that still clung to sanity told her she was trapped. That she would die soon if she didn't fight for her life. She wondered if it mattered. Crystal Tokyo was dead. Her friends were gone. She shook her head. Nothing mattered. What a silly thought.

She was startled when a shout came down the hallway, hissing in pain as the movement jarred her aching body. Then came the sound of gunshots, more yelling, and an explosion that rocked the concrete floor she laid upon. Enough to peak her interest now, she dragged herself up onto her feet, and hobbled over to the small window in the door.

She gasped as her own, dull grey eyes met a startling cerulean blue. And a voice that was like the sweet song of the harp said. "I found her Duo. She's here."

...

It was quiet. Quiet and dark. Duo liked it that way. He lounged easily in the bucket seat of the black jeep they'd taken to the base. The flight from the preventer's base had been short, and the drive even shorter. No wonder Tenshu had outfitted this base with so many people. At an hour drive from the airport, it would have been an easy target unmanned. Which incidentally, it now was. He couldn't wait to meet this babe. She'd done quite a number on them by herself. That was if she still lived.

Reports from the spies Noin has planted in Tenshu said they were unsure. The girl was spoken about regularly. They said she'd taken out twelve men in her attack. But the information was vague and no one had actually ever seen her. She was kept under lock and key and was handled by two select guards only. Duo had some idea of where the holding cell was. He and Quatre had been assigned the duty of rescuing the girl, while Trowa and Hiiro gathered information, and Wufei waited in the wings to destroy what was left of their stronghold. There would be no rebuilding.

When Noin had called him, he had been unsure if he wanted to get involved again. But Shinigami rose in him quickly, and he had accepted hours after she'd contacted him. The God of death could not be held down for long. It had been relaxing, burying himself in the rebuilding of Maxwell church, but his blood sang for something more. He only wished it didn't mean the plague of war upon the earth and colonies once again.

"Duo." Quatre's voice broke him from his reverie. "We're all set." With a stretch that was catlike, he jumped from the jeep's seat, checking that his guns were in the holsters on his chest and leg, and that his hunting knife was secure in his combat boot. He had already checked the ammunition 10 times on their way to the base.

"Ready when you are Q-man." He said cheerfully. "Shinigami rises again!" Quatre had enough decency to try to hide the rolling of his eyes, but it was the soft smile that Duo fed off of. "You know you missed me buddy." He said with his own smile, as they crept closer to their target.

Getting in was easy. It seemed they had cleared the base of any sentries. Those left were only there to monitor information and complete repairs. Noin had said as much, but Duo never let anything get his hopes up. This... well this was boring. He turned the corner, Quatre trailing behind, his mind drifting. There was a loud pop, and he couldn't help smiling at the hole in the concrete wall next to him. Action. Finally.

"How close?" Quatre asked, returning fire as Duo did towards the five men further down the straight hallway. Duo took in his surroundings quickly.

"Shouldn't be too far." he said. "Just down this hallway." Quatre nodded, as the last of the soldiers fell to the ground. Duo nudged one of the lifeless bodies as he passed by it, turning it over. A shame. They were just kids. This one had long brown hair, his cold blue eyes staring up at nothing.

He looked up as Quatre exclaimed. " I found her Duo. She's here." It was enough of a distraction for a guard they hadn't seen to aim a well placed bullet at Duo. He dodged at the last second, but it lodged deep in his shoulder.

"Ouch." He grumbled, and leaned against the wall as his attacker fell dead to the floor. His aim was still on point at least. He needed to work on his attention span. "Can you get the door open?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Quatre glanced at him worriedly, which he shrugged off with a tense smile. "It's only a few bolts." The Arabian said, smiling back softly.

"Then by all means Q-man, grab the babe and let's go."

...

She was not scared. She had seen the kindness in the man's eyes before her. The deep depths of blue had made her feel warmer than she had in a long time. She stood still as he opened the door to her cell, and stared.

He was taller than she was by a few inches. His hair was platinum blonde and shaggy, falling past his ears in soft wisps. His eyes were large and doe-like. A pure oceanic blue. She heard the sound of more gunshots in the distance, but did not turn towards the noise. She was captured in his gaze. She watched as he raised a hand up, offering it for her own. A dream? Was she so far gone that she was imagining this angel? Freeing her from her confines? All she wanted was release. Be it freedom or death. At the moment she could care less. She'd spent too long holding onto a dream.

"We're here to rescue you , Miss." He graced her with his beautiful, even voice again. So different from the one's she'd heard in the past few weeks of torture. Tentatively, she laid her hand in his own, her bloody, dirty hand, and was suddenly overcome with images.

*Sandrock. 04. Duo. 02. Hiiro. 01. Trowa. 03. Wufei. 05.* Her eyes widened for a moment, still on his, and with a gasp she succumbed to sweet darkness.

...

And so the boys have finally been introduced. What will Usagi do when she wakes? Again, comments and reviews are always appreciated! Until next time.. . .