Disclaimer : I do not own Gundam Wing, or Sailor Moon, but after I post this, I'm going to have sexy, wonderful dreams about Duo and Heero in the same room with me, naked. :)

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Fuseiseki : Failure

Chapter Seven : Run Faster

...

Usagi groaned when she felt the hands on her wrists. "Okite Kudosai." Her eyes snapped open, confused, and settled on the image of Hiiro hovering above her. She was so tired.

"Hiiro." She said softly. "Nande?"

"Is it possible that Chaos has been here longer than you?" She snapped to attention.

"I suppose it could be, Hiiro.." He cut her off with a look.

"You said he was an influence. That he could build upon the evil of others." She nodded. "Have you taken a look at our History Usagi?" It was the first time he's said her name. What an absurd thing to think at the time, but she couldn't help but notice. She brushed it off quickly.

"I didn't even think..." He pulled her from her bed, bringing her into his arms. She didn't even have time to gasp. The wounds on her shoulder blades ached, they had not yet closed, but she didn't have the energy to fight him, so she just hung on for the ride.

...

She was warm in his arms. He tried to ignore it. He couldn't deny the way she made his heart speed up just a little bit. Couldn't pretend he didn't like the smell of her hair. The distraction was the target. It was Relena all over again. He stormed down the hall as fast as he could without jarring her wounds. It would do no good to harm her further. She needed no more pain. But if he was right. They needed to leave. NOW.

Quatre, Wufei, Duo and Trowa were in the common room when he arrived at the top of the stairs. Both Duo and Quatre rushed to greet him, question in their eyes, as Trowa and Wufei stood.

"Get two cars ready." Hiiro demanded, letting Duo take Usagi into his arms. They all looked at him, for a second, before Quatre obeyed. This was the trust they had. No matter the circumstance. "Get her in one." Hiiro said to Duo, who nodded.

Trowa and Wufei needed no prodding. They both hurried to gather equipment. "2 minutes." Hiiro said. And they all ran in separate directions.

...

When they were in the cars, Duo, Usagi and Hiiro in a black SUV, and Trowa, Wufei and Quatre in a white Van, Hiiro explained over a linked com Quatre had installed in most of his vehicles.

"If this thing is what she says it is." He said grimly. "It can find us here."

Quatre came over the link. *What makes you think so?* He guessed Trowa was driving their Van. Duo was driving in his vehicle. Hiiro's gun was at the ready.

Usagi took the walkie from him in a swift motion form the back seat, he glared at her, but let her speak. "Hiiro thinks, and could very well be right, that Chaos was spreading his influence before I arrived. Which means he's much stronger than I anticipated. The Sailor Move I used to push him away won't last for long."

She gasped, and threw her arm up in the air. Instantly the two cars were protected by a wall of shimmering purple energy. Hiiro stared at her. She stared back with wild eyes. "Gomen Nasai Minna." She said into the walkie. "Looks like this battle is meant to involve you." Hiiro caught the walkie as she threw her other hand up, looking like she was fighting not to pass out.

"Hiiro?" Duo said aloud.

"Keep driving Duo." He said, and then over the link. "Keep Driving."

"Impressive." The voice was everywhere and nowhere. Usagi's eyes lit an instant silver, her pupils fading away as the eight pointed star blazed on her forehead. "I'd thought you useless without the Ginshinzou Serenity. This is much more fun."

"Fuck you." Usagi spit. And Hiiro couldn't help his eyes widening in surprise.

"Where are we going Hiiro?" Duo asked, his voice hard. They had to be believers now. There was a loud explosion above them. Hiiro opened the sunroof of the SUV and stared up. A man, dressed in black robes accented with red over smart black slacks, and long hair that glimmered like black diamonds, was shooting energy from his palms at the two vehicles. Usagi's barrier was holding.

*He's gorgeous.* Quatre said over the link. Hiiro could almost see him blushing. He couldn't blame him. Although Hiiro had never looked at a man this way in his life, he had to admit, the man was stunning.

"Light and Dark." He whispered to himself. He looked at Usagi. She was staring him down. Had she heard him?

"My hearing is very acute in this form." Usagi said. "We are Light and Dark. Forever intertwined. My complete opposite."

He could certainly see why. He had seen the full visage of the Goddess of Stars. He was the sun about to explode. She was the newborn Moon.

"Nice analogy." Usgai smirked. "Didn't know you were so poetic Hiiro-kun." He noticed the change in suffix, but did not comment.

"Yes, Duo-kun. I can read your mind in this form." Usagi grunted, her resolve was wearing thin, he could see it. "Hiiro tell them to keep driving. In a moment I'll throw him off. Tell them not to stop. And tell Quatre to make sure his mansion is cleared of all inhabitants."

Hiiro nodded. He was not used to taking orders. But he also wasn't used to a man flying above his vehicle shooting balls of energy. He relayed the information, and waited. As he watched, Usagi closed her eyes, and when they opened again, they were shining. Her hands were bright with dark purple energy, and she swiped both her hands down towards the floor of the car, screaming. "Silence Glaive Surprise!"

The energy that traveled up was so powerful that it sliced the hood of the SUV open on it's way up. He watched in pure awe as it took the man above them down easily. When he looked back at Usagi, she was leaning weakly on the seat. Her eyes were again dull grey. "Far Hiiro." She whispered. "We need to go far. Tell no one."

He jumped into the back seat to support her small frame, pulling the walkie to his lips. "Base 323 Quatre." He said evenly to Quatre. Who didn't bother to answer. "As quietly as possible."

...

It was hard for her to stay awake through the trip. She was aware that she lay in the strong arms of Hiiro Yui. Every once in awhile Duo's voice would filter through her fuzzy brain, asking if she was OK. She wanted to thank him for his concern, but could not find her voice. She was just so tired. She clung to consciousness because she wanted to make sure Chaos cold not follow them. The barrier she was using to hid them was weak, but it was holding. She was sure that would be possible if she let herself go to sleep.

"Usagi." He'd said her name again. It make butterflies burst to life in her chest. She struggled with opening her eyes. Hoping she didn't look quite as pathetic as she felt. He was looking down at her. "Can you walk?"

The SUV had stopped. Duo was already out of the car, gathering the things they needed from the back. She gazed at him sleepily when he opened the door. He held out a hand to her with a charming smile.

With strength she pulled from the last of her reserves, she took, it, allowing him to lift her from the confines of the back seat. Her legs were unsteady, but Duo took it in stride, wrapping an arm around her waist. She in turn wrapped an arm around him, gripping his shirt for stability.

"Walk with me babe." He said softly. "We have to get into the shuttle." She looked around. Her vision was still fuzzy, but she realized they were in another shuttle port, like the one they had taken to Quatre's Colony, L4. This one, however, was much more crowded. She couldn't see Hiiro, Quatre, Trowa, or Wufei. They had disappeared into the crowd. She looked up. Duo's eyes were shadowed by the baseball cap he had donned, his hair tucked into the back of his shirt.

She felt him stop, and tug around her shoulders a large black hoodie, lifting the hood over her head, and zipping it up. "Just let me do the talking." He winked.

He walked her through the throngs of people, holding her up with his arm. She was amazed at his strength. She felt like she was nothing more than dead weight. ""You'll have to walk through the gate by yourself, when we get there. Can you do that Usa?"

She nodded. She had to. She didn't know where they were going, but she trusted the men she was with. They knew what they were doing. He transferred over to holding her hand when they got to the gate, watching her with careful, violet eyes as she stood on her own.

She pushed herself to walk forward through the metal detector, to smile at the guard who checked her pockets and scanned her quickly. And then Duo was beside her again. She leaned into him gratefully, and was rewarded with a chuckle that resonated through his chest. "Almost there Usa."

He led her into the shuttle, through the port, and into her, seat, sitting next to her with a soft huff of breath. She leaned on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

"Duo-chan?" He deserved the suffix.

"Hmm?" It was endearing how he looked down on her.

"Where are the others?" Duo smiled, and patted her arm.

"No worries Usa. We'll see them soon." She got the feeling he wasn't keeping the information from her because he didn't want her to know. But because he didn't want anyone else to know. War had done a number on these boys. They had developed a plan and an escape route with five words. Sighing, she breathed deeply. "You should sleep."

There was the light buzz of chatter in the confines of the shuttle. She looked into his eyes, and spoke evenly. "I'm sorry Duo."

"For what babe?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry to all of you. For dragging you into this..." He cut her off.

"You didn't drag us into anything." He looked past her, through the window of the rapidly rising shuttle. "Do you think we'd be spared of this fight without you?"

She turned her vision to where he was looking, out the window at the colony that was rapidly growing smaller. She was amazed at this world, at it's technology. Ami would have had a field day. She looked back upon Duo's face. He was still staring into the space outside. "You might not have been spared." She said. "But you'd have done your world justice without me." Her lips curved in a bitter smile. "Sometimes I'm not sure why they won't just let me die. Seems this planet has always found something, or someone, to protect it."

She sensed he didn't know how to answer, and was bathed in the comfortable silence of their ride from then on.

...

Hiiro broke from the confines of the cockpit of Wing Zero, breathing deep. It had taken some very stealthy maneuvering to free it from the base on L2, without being seen. But as far as he knew there had been no reports of the supposedly destroyed Gundam. All of the Dr.'s had been too proud to destroy their weapons. The machines sent into the sun had merely been shells. Few knew of this. The pilots, of course, the Dr.'s and Noin and Milliardo were the chosen privy to such information. He hoped by the time Fire and Wind found the machine missing he could explain the need to take it.

He jumped from the cockpit to a landing 2 feet below, taking one last look at the machine he knew better than himself, before heading towards the lone vehicle Quatre had stored at this particular base. It was a long drive to Base 323. He had to get going.

As he positioned himself in the driver's seat and prepared to leave, his mind wandered towards Usagi. He tried to wipe the image of her, eyes glued to his, holding the shield for their safety, and could not. He cursed aloud. A distraction. Such a distraction. One that was slowly worming her way into his cold heart. He didn't know what to think. What to do. She was awakening things in him that were unnatural. With a hard set to his lips, Hiiro Yui kept driving.

...

"You still haven't slept." Duo chided her, as he helped her from her seat. It was true. She hadn't really slept. She had closed her eyes, hoping he would not notice, but in truth was too afraid to let her guard down. She was too weak to fight Chaos again. She needed to avoid his presence for now. It had been along time since she'd felt that probing, like eyes on her back, but she was unsure.

"I'll sleep when we get where we're going." Duo chuckled, shaking his head at her stubbornness.

He led her, hand in hand, to a waiting car. She did not know the man who handed Duo the keys, but he bore a great resemblance to Rashid. Duo answered her question before she could ask it. "Rashid's brother, Omar." She had already climbed into the passenger seat of the the four door, black sedan.

"How many magunacs are there?" She asked as Duo climbed into the driver's seat.

He scratched his chin thoughtfully as he started the car. "Never really counted." And they were on their way. She didn't recognize this place, but knew they were on Earth. She had watched the descent to the green planet, so unlike the metal, fabricated colonies. It had brought a wave of nostalgia that renewed her.

This place was sunny and bright, with palm trees lining the streets. Duo only drove for an hour or so before they reached their destination. She was so lost in the scenery that she hadn't realized the car had stopped. They were before a huge beach house, standing alone on the beach. The outside was a light peach in color, framed in light grey.

Duo exited the car and she followed suit, staring up at the large porch that ran one story up, around the entire house. Quatre and Trowa sat there on beach chairs, looking comfortable in shorts and tee's. Duo stepped up beside her and cast his arms out.

"Welcome to one of my favorite bases Usa." He said with a smile. "This, is base 323."

...

"She's finally asleep." Duo ran his hand through his bangs out of habit. Quatre was sitting at the large blond wood table in the kitchen, drinking a cup of tea, and Trowa was busy cooking something that was making his stomach growl.

"I was beginning to think she never would." Quatre said, setting his mug down."I'm glad. What she did back there..." He paused, at a loss for words.

"Made us all believers." Trowa said. And Duo laid his eyes on him. The tall brunette had not turned from his task. "How could we not believe her at this point?"

"Yeah." Duo said. "Even the perfect soldier has jumped on board. I thought it would take him longer than Wufei."

Trowa moved what he was making to six plates, storing three in the fridge for the others, and then setting one in front of the braided pilot, and one in front of the blond. He sat down next to Quatre with his own plate as Duo dug in. Sausage and rice. Seasoned perfectly. Trowa was an amazing cook. Strange skill for a man of war. But Duo appreciated it greatly. He burned everything he touched.

"When do you think Hiiro and Wufei will arrive?" He asked between mouthfulls. Quatre looked at him with a mild frown on his lips, setting down his fork and wiping his mouth before speaking.

"Hiiro should be her within the hour. Wufei's arrival will take a day or two. He stayed behind to make sure we weren't being followed."

Duo set his fork down, he had practically inhaled his plate, and was growing sleepy with the fullness of the meal. "Thanks Trowa." He said as he stood, "I'm gonna catch a nap before perfect soldier shows up."

They both nodded at him, and he winked. As if they wouldn't enjoy the alone time. Did they think him oblivious? The relationship that was budding between the two was more and more evident. He wondered if they kept it secret because they feared approval, or if it was because they couldn't admit it to themselves.

He paused at the door of the room he'd left Usagi in, content when he heard no movement. She had told him before he'd laid her in the soft bed that she couldn't feel Chaos' searching eye anymore. They were hidden. For now. His tendrils could only stretch so far. It didn't stop him however, from wondering when they would have to fight again.

He felt a strong attachment to the girl. Like that of an older brother to a younger sister. He hoped he could protect her. She needed the support more than anyone he'd known. The girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders, literally. It was only a matter of time before he'd have to prove he was up to the job. He curled up on the bed of his designated room in the airy California base, and fell asleep with much on his mind.

...

Hiiro's head hurt. It had been a long time since he'd had anything close to a headache. It was frustrating. It had also been a long time since he had been frustrated. What was this girl doing to him? He'd done nothing but think of her the entire drive. And it had been a long one. He'd landed hours away from base 323.

He was almost there.. The streets were familiar. They had visited this place many times. It was a favorite for all of the pilots, quiet, good for researching, thinking, getting away. And also one of the locations that was untraceable on paper or by computer. He hoped that was enough to thwart their current pursuer. Not that he seemed to bend to normal rules.

He pulled up to the remote beach house in the dark, shutting the lights of the car off and climbing out. His eyes were instantly drawn to the large, wraparound balcony where the petite figure of Usagi stood, staring down at him.

She was wearing a dark red sundress, barefoot, with her hair trailing over her shoulders, blowing in the balmy breeze. For a moment, he just stared. Did she know? Did she know what she did to him? How she made his heart beat? Like it never had before.

With an uncharacteristic sigh, he broke her gaze, and carried himself inside, heading straight to his room and locking the door. He opened his laptop in the dark and began typing. He couldn't focus on her now. He needed to focus on the task at hand. The questions he had surrounding the small warrior would have to wait.

...

She had felt him coming. It was something she didn't understand. Couldn't grasp even as she saw the car pull up. Even as prussian met steel. She wanted to be next to him. To help erase the pain that was in his eyes. She felt this way for all the boys. It was a trait that came naturally to her, the healing of others. Emotional, physical. But with this one...

His pain was so absolute, it was like it called to her. It had been so with Mamoru, so long ago, in the hospital room. But Mamoru had healed over the years. This man would not let anyone close enough to do so. Her soul reveled in the challenge. She longed to see him smile. The thought made her skin tingle. She'd bet his smile would rival Duo's, as charming as it was.

He broke the gaze first, and she was disappointed in some fashion. She stayed where she was, eyes on the horizon. It had turned a lovely purple where the sea met the sky. In another time, this place might have been the location of the perfect vacation. She could see it. Her friends on the beach, laughing, building a sand castle with Chibi-Usa. She winced. That memory stung. Her dear daughter would never exist now. She'd seen the possibility when she and Mamoru had decided they weren't meant for each other, but it stung more now. It was more real now, final.

She sighed at her reflection in a mirrored wind chime that hung on the great balcony. Her eyes were rimmed with black and yellow, bruised from lack of sleep. She wished for clarity. It would be hard for Chaos to find them here. Even at his current power level, he could only stretch himself so far.. but still she was nervous. She wished she knew what to do. They had reached an impasse, running and hiding. The next move belonged to her foe.

She moved to a padded grey lounge chair on the balcony, smoothing out her sundress as she sat down. Quatre had promised to take her shopping soon. In the meantime, she had some clothes he had pulled from his sister's closets, that she was promised were not in use, and nearly brand new, and the small amount of clothes Asiya had bought for her. She had tried to refuse, but he insisted. So kind. She was drawn to all of them like a moth to a flame.

She felt sleep claiming her right there... comfortable in the warm weather and cool breezes. She needed it. If she was going to fight this battle, win this war, it had to be without rings beneath her eyes.

...

He slept, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he dreamed. He dreamed of a beauty with long silver hair and silver eyes, in a billowy white dress, reaching out to him, and though his soul said to run to her, he resisted. She threatened his self control. Threatened to break apart the perfect soldier that he was.

And then she was gone, and before him stood a regal man, dressed in a sharp tux, his eyes midnight blue, his hair the color of empty space. The man smiled, and Hiiro followed his gaze to a small girl, with cotton candy pink hair, tucked behind his leg. She wore a dress that was reminiscent of the goddess in his dreams, white and laced with pearls.

"Hello Hiiro Yui." The man said. And his voice was smooth, resonant. "I am Mamoru."

...

Oh my, Mamoru makes his very short appearance. :) Much more in the next chapter. What does the spirit of Usagi's former love have to say? To find out, you'll have to look for the next chapter of Fuseiseki. Ja, .