Author's Note: Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
The Vengeance Factor
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Chapter Five: Decisions And Consequences
Rating: PG-13
As Duncan staggered towards the injured and recuperating Scouts, Katrina and Junko, his eyes blazing from murder and madness, Sailor Venus, feeling stronger, slowly climbed to her feet and put herself between her friends and the madman from Ireland.
"Duncan! Wait!" she cried, her teeth clenched from the pain of her wounds which had lessened, thanks to her healing powers. "I'm the one you want to kill! I'll come with you! No tricks!"
Sailor Jupiter's eyes widened from mindnumbing horror and a fist of ice clamped around her heart at what she heard. "Venus! No! Don't!"
"Shut up!" Venus yelled at her partner. The blond Scout hated to do that, but she didn't want the one person she loved most in all the world to die because of her. Venus turned back to face Duncan who had come to a halt thirty feet away. "Do whatever you want with me, I don't care! But please, I'm begging you, spare my friends! Spare all these innocent people!"
Duncan was silent for several long moments while he frowned and thought over what Venus had said. He was still weak and needed the time to build up his energy for another blast. After what felt like an eternity, Duncan grinned and shook his head while his body temperature rose. "Sorry, darlin'. No deal. Just takin' you out wouldn't be any fun. Not with all this power I've got. So I'm sendin' you to the Pearly Gates with plenty of company. Time to die, bitch!"
Just as Duncan mustered up his energy to detonate, something whizzed past his face, slicing his left cheek like a razor blade. With a howl of pain, Duncan, his concentration broken stumbled backward and dropped to the ground. Blinking rapidly, blood pouring down his face, Duncan saw, much to his amazement, that the object the struck him was a red rose, its long, barbed shaft half buried in the street. The Scouts saw the rose and knew immediately that help had arrived.
"He's here! Thank God!" said an openly relieved Sailor Moon.
The rustle of cloth from above caught Duncan's attention. He looked upward and saw, perched on the ledge of a building above him, a figure, wearing an outfit the likes of which made Duncan gasp from puzzlement. The figure was a tall, lean muscled young man in a black tuxedo with a matching top hat, shoes and a long, flowing cape lined in red. His mask, white as his shirt, bowtie, vest and gloves partially hid his strong, handsome face.
With a deceptive ease, the figure leaped from the ledge, did a somersault in mid air and landed on the street, putting himself between the Scouts and the wounded Duncan. The Irishman scowled at the newcomer.
"Who the hell are you?" he snarled.
"Your worst nightmare, scumbag!" Tuxedo Mask snapped back in righteous anger. Mask saw that Scouts had been hurt, more importantly, Sailor Moon, his lover, his soulmate, had been hurt. That he wouldn't tolerate. Reaching into the folds of his cape, Mask produced a black cane and brandished it like a rapier at Duncan. "Get this through your head! No one hurts my friends, or the woman I love while I'm around!"
Duncan sneered as his body temperature rose again. "Is that a fact, mate? We'll just see about that!"
"Tuxedo Mask! Strike him! Quickly!" shouted Sailor Vulcan. "Keep him off balance! Don't allow him to concentrate!"
"Concentrate? What are you talking about?" a confused Mask wanted to know, glancing back at Vulcan.
"Dammit, man! Don't question me! Just hit him, or he'll kill us all!"
Mask clearly heard the sound of desperation in the Vulcan girl's voice, something that was as alien to him as his beloved Serena turning down food. Mask didn't see any weapon in the stranger's hand or person, leading him to assume he had some sort of power instead.
Needing no motivation to strike back at the man who injured his woman, Mask moved at Duncan in a ebony blur, striking the terrorist with his cane squarely against his jaw, sending the Irishman sprawling to the ground. Dazed and hurt, Duncan tried to concentrate on his power, but was too disoriented and in too much pain from the blow to concentrate. As he tried to stand, Mask hit Duncan hard with a spin kick, lifting him off his feet to crash back on the ground several feet away.
"Don't let up, Mask!" cried Mercury in a voice filled with urgency, her strength returned. The other Scouts also used the badly needed respite to recover. "Stay on him! He's got to be subdued!"
Without saying a word, Mask kept up his assault, striking Duncan with just enough force to incapacitate, not kill since his physical strength was several times greater than that of a normal man. Even though Duncan was a tough and rugged brawler, he was helpless against Mask who reduced the Irish terrorist to a bloodied and barely conscious pulp. The only thing that kept Duncan from passing out was his hate, his obsession to kill Venus, and that made his temperature rise, albeit slowly.
Mask grabbed Duncan by his jacket lapels and roughly hoisted him up. The caped hero glared hatefully at the Irishman for several seconds, fighting back the urge to cripple Duncan for hurting Sailor Moon. Convinced Duncan was no longer a threat, Mask dropped the semi-conscious terrorist to the ground, then walked back to the others. "Mission accomplished. He's subdued. Now, will someone please tell me what's going on here?"
"A nightmare, masked man! One I'm about to end!" growled Katrina. With her handgun lost in the attack by Duncan, the Interpol agent removed a small .380 autoloader she used as a backup weapon from holster strapped to her right ankle and chambered a round. Staggering to her feet, Katrina, ignoring pain and dizziness limped towards Mask. What she had seen Duncan do horrified her, leaving her with no other option. "Be glad to explain everything to you! Right after I send Duncan to hell!"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was another explosion, but this one was of automatic weapons fire as bullets chewed up the street near where Mask stood, forcing the caped hero to leap away to avoid being struck. Despite his powers, Mask, like the Scouts was still only flesh and blood and could be killed just as easily as any normal human. With no way of knowing where the gunfire came from, Mask grabbed Katrina and dove behind an overturned car while the Scouts also made for shelter.
Duncan, regaining his wits, and his strength, climbed shakily to his feet. He was enraged over having been pummeled, something that hadn't happened to him since he was seventeen. His rage fueled a massive adrenaline rush that sent his body temperature soaring. Duncan would make everyone pay for having been bloodied.
"No one treats Seamus Duncan like a punching bag!" he roared. "Do you hear me? NO ONE! I'll kill you all for that!"
"Oh, shit! He's gonna blow again!" cried Jupiter.
"Well, this time, we're prepared!" growled Mercury, her body glowing from a soft blue light. "Shine Aqua....ILLUSION!"
At the Water Scout's command, a wide column of water formed out of thin air, then hardened into ice. She sent that column hurtling at Duncan and it slammed into the Irishman like a battering ram, sending him flying down the street with such speed that he was over a block away when he exploded, the blast shaking the entire street while causing everyone to cover their ears from the sound of the blast.
The Scouts, though not completely recovered, quickly moved forward to the spot where Duncan had been when he exploded. They saw no sign of the large, crackling gray cloud that signaled Duncan reformation, but near a smoking crater almost three feet deep was an open manhole cover. That collectively sent a chill down the spines of the heroines.
"Hell's bells! He's underground!" cried a worried Sailor Sirius. "Merc! Scan the sewers! Fast!"
Mercury tried to do so, but her damaged visor made the attempt futile as it kept winking on and off. "I can't! My visor's not working! He could be anywhere! Mars! Can you sense him?"
The Scout of Fire closed her eyes and opened her acute psychic senses. Suddenly her mind was assailed by an intense, burning hatred, and an all-consuming drive to kill. And she sensed that rage from directly beneath her feet. "Gods! He's right below us! Fall back! Fall back!"
The Scouts hastily moved away an instant before the street literally erupted like a volcano as Duncan detonated again. A massive secondary explosion from a shattered gas main blew everyone off their feet as a monstrous ball of flame rose over a hundred feet into the mid morning sky.
"SAILOR MOON!" cried a horrified Mask, unable to see if she and the Scouts escaped the terrible twin blasts in time.
Thick, black, choking smoke from the blasts fell over the area as the street burned. Just as firefighters raced forward with their hoses to extinguish the inferno, suddenly, a huge burst of blinding bright silver energy, brighter and more intense than the sun itself filled the street for a over a square mile all around. Almost instantly, the gas fed fire was extinguished, blown out as if by an incalculably powerful blast of wind. When the light faded, Mask and the others saw the Scouts in a force field, while Moon, standing in the middle, her face drawn from concentration held her Cosmic Moon scepter high over her head in a two-handed grip. The sight was nothing short of amazing to everyone.
"Incredible," whispered a wide eyed Junko.
No one on the wrecked street dared to move for five agonizingly long minutes, fearful that another blast might come. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when that didn't happen. After Moon lowered her force field, there was no sign of Duncan along the ruined avenue. People looked around, but no one saw the deranged Irishman.
"I don't see him!" said a worried Katrina. "Is he dead, or did he just disappear?"
"Only one way to find out! Split up, team!" barked Moon, greatly weakened from using the scepter to both protect the others and put out the fire. "Groups of two! If he's alive, he might be hiding somewhere!"
The Scouts wasted no time following their leader's orders and they launched an immediate search while firemen went to work securing the ruptured gas main and paramedics hurried in to treat the wounded. The Scouts searched for over a mile all around ground zero but saw no sign of the missing Duncan. The looks of frustration on their faces as they returned to the devastated street told the story of their futility.
"Anything?" Moon demanded, having searched with Mask. She was barely able to stay on her feet.
"Zip city!" said Sirius, Vulcan at her side.
"Not a bloody trace!" said Venus, partnered with Jupiter.
"Where could Duncan have gone to?" Katrina wondered aloud. The notion of the Irish madman having escaped worried her no end.
Mercury, having searched with Mars and the Interpol agent shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. This is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I've got info from my scan of Duncan. Perhaps some research on that data will uncover some answers."
"I should hope you freaks have some answers for this!" snarled Junko, limping up to the group. Her eyes burning from anger, she glared lasers at Katrina. "What the hell happened, Howell? Why didn't you tell me he was loaded down with explosives?"
"Loaded down? Don't kid yourself," Katrina growled. "Duncan was barehanded. You saw that for yourself. As for how he did what he did, your guess is as good as mine."
"That's not good enough! I was answers! Interpol orders or not, I'm hauling you and the Scouts downtown to get them!" Junko waved to a group of six SWAT officers who arrived on the scene and they trotted up to her, M-16's at the ready.
"I don't believe this!" said a stunned Moon. "We just saved who knows how many lives, including yours, and you do this? Why?"
"Look around you! This catastrophe was your fault!" Junko yelled back. "You blasted freaks are every bit as much a menace to this city as the monsters you fight! People died here because of you!"
Moon, crestfallen, riddled with guilt, dropped her head, looking like she was going to cry. Mask, furious at how Moon was treated stepped towards Junko. The SWAT troopers raised their weapons. Mask ignored them. "Lady, I don't know what your problem is, but I'm not going stand by and let you treat us like criminals!"
"I second that!" an equally angry Katrina snapped at Junko. "If you had followed my orders and moved everyone back when I told you to, quite possibly no one would have been killed! I warned you about Duncan, but you wouldn't listen! You're just as much to blame for this disaster!"
Junko seethed, knowing the Briton was right. She let her wounded pride over her authority being usurped by Katrina, and her prejudice regarding the Scouts get in the way of her judgement, and a catastrophe was the end result. Turning to the SWAT troopers, she nodded, and the men lowered their rifles. "You're right. I screwed up. Royally. And I'll have to live with the consequences. So would you kindly tell me what in blazes we're dealing with here?"
Katrina turned to the Scouts who, lacking answers, remained silent. "I don't know, Inspector. I'm in the dark like you. But we'll try to find out. That's all I can tell you. Obviously, there's more to Duncan than meets the eye, making him a much greater threat than even we realized."
"That goes without saying!" said a frowning Venus, her blood running cold at what she had seen.
"We'd better go," said Mars. She then glared at Junko. "If that's alright with you, Inspector?"
Junko scowled. She hated the notion of letting the hated Scouts walk, but had no reason, nor the ability to hold them, despite her empty threat. "Go on, damn you! Get out of here!"
As the Scouts turned to leave, Katrina, her anger gone lingered. "Inspector, for whatever it's worth, I used to be a cop back home in London, so I can understand your frustration."
Junko was skeptical. "Can you?"
"Yes. I've lost track of how many times I silently cursed Scotland Yarders when they took over police cases I worked on, and did so with the absolute worst sort of arrogance. Like I did with you. And I'm sorry," Katrina explained guiltily. "As one cop to another, let's shelve our hostility and work together to find and stop Duncan. Okay?"
The Interpol agent held out her hand. Junko, reluctant at first, shrugged, then shook it. "Okay. Despite your questionable taste in companions, Agent Howell, I think we can get along. If you find out anythingÉ."
"You'll be the first to know. So long."
Once Katrina left, Junko turned around to face the devastation that Duncan caused. The policewoman sighed, knowing she was in for a very long and agonizing day.
In all the chaos, no one noticed a nondescript blue panel van parked on a secluded side street three blocks away from the bank. Moon and Mask, having searched that particular area saw the van but paid no attention to it.
Inside the van, Goro looked on as Duncan lay unconscious on the floor, breathing heavily. His clothing smouldered from excess heat given off by his power while his body was badly bruised and battered. The six hoods also gazed at the Irishman, unsure as to what to make of the stranger.
"Boss? What do we do with this freak?" one of the hoods, seated at the wheel asked Goro. Fear could easily be heard in his voice.
Goro shrugged his shoulders. For the life of him, he didn't quite know why he sprayed the street with gunfire, giving Duncan, subdued by Mask the opportunity he to use his power. After the last time Duncan exploded, Goro saw the crazed Irishman materialize unmoving several yards away from the alley, he rushed out into the street to retrieve the injured Duncan, just before the Scouts came looking for him.
"I don't know, Maki. Maybe I shoulda left him in the street to rot, but something told me that would've been a mistake, given what this guy can do," the Yakuza gunrunner grumbled. "And he knows where I live. Take me back to the Princess. I'll stash McDougal, and the money there until he wakes up. And nobody breathe so much as a word about this to anyone until I figure this out! Got that?"
The goons all nodded, openly fearful to be in the Irishman's presence.
As the van pulled away from the curb, Goro's thoughts were dark and grim as he looked down at Duncan. He too was apprehensive about the Irishman. Heaven help me. I think I've made a deal with the Devil. And the absolute last thing I wanna do is screw him over!
The modest sized living room of Darien Shields' apartment was crowded with eight bone weary women, their bodies stiff and aching as they spent the last several hours resting and recuperating from their decidedly one-sided battle with Duncan.
While Amy and Talia disseminated the information gathered on Duncan via Mercury's visor in the privacy of the kitchen, Luna and Artemis, filled in on the incident by the others were openly astounded from what they had been told. Despite everything the familiars had experienced with the Scouts, this incident was beyond their comprehension.
"Amazing. Absolutely amazing," Luna murmured. "And you're certain you didn't see Duncan use any sort of explosive device?"
"Positive," Talia replied. "As near as we could determine, Duncan was the explosive."
"How could that be possible?" Artemis asked.
"After examining the information I gathered from our encounter with Duncan, Tal and I arrived at the conclusion that he underwent some sort of fantastic mutation that's given him the power to detonate his atoms with all the destructive force of TNT, and then reassemble his corporeal form so he can repeat the process," Amy explained. "In brief, guys, Duncan's literally become a human bomb."
"That's monstrous," said a scowling Darien, Serena nestled in his arms.
"No kidding!" Tanya grumbled. "That guy is definitely off the normal scale. Could he be another of those sleeper youmas like the one Tal and I fought last week?"
Amy shook her head. "Unlikely. All the youmas we've fought, literally since day one always metamorphosed into some sort of creature form before attacking us. Duncan didn't. I'm convinced he's very much human, despite what he can do."
"Well, do you think Duncan's mutation was artificially created?" Raye asked. "Heaven knows we've faced that sort of horror before."
"I considered that while doing our research. That's also a negative," Amy replied. "My scans detected no radiation like the Mitsumos used in creating their man-beasts. Nor could I find any traces of chemicals as was the case with Tomaroch and his lizard monsters. Frightening as this sounds, Duncan's mutation appears to have been a natural occurrence."
"Natural? Good Lord. The more I hear of this, the less I like it," said a grim faced Katrina. "If you're right about Duncan and those freakish powers he's got, why then did he allow himself to be captured in London three years ago? And why did he wait this long before breaking out of prison?"
"The only logical explanation, Agent Howell, is that Duncan was not aware of his powers until only recently," Talia replied. "Duncan's mutation had lain dormant within him for years, perhaps since birth. But some sort of massive trauma, either physical, emotional or psychological triggered his latent abilities to life. As to what that trigger could have been, I do not know."
"I know, Tal. Me," a dour faced Mina replied. "Duncan hated me with a passion and thought I was dead for three years after that warehouse explosion. Kat told me that Duncan had seen me on TV two weeks ago and that drove him off his rocker."
"To hell with how Duncan became a monster!" and angry Lita yelled. She was still upset over Mina willing to sacrifice herself to save everyone from Duncan. Lita's stomach churned from thinking about just how close she came to losing the most important person in her life. Seated next to Mina, Lita took the blonde's hand in hers. Mina smiled slightly, grateful for the physical contact with her partner. "All I wanna know is how do we stop this psycho son of a bitch!"
"Yeah. I was wondering that myself," Serena added. "Amy? Tal?"
The blue haired genius and the stoic Vulcan girl glanced at each other briefly before Amy spoke. "Clearly the best way to stop Duncan would be while he's in his flesh and blood form. As we saw this morning from Darien's attack, he's just as vulnerable as any ordinary human."
"Also, there would appear to be a limit to how often Duncan can detonate," Talia added. "After the third time he exploded----twice against us, plus the break-in at the bank----he was visibly weakened, no doubt drained from the energy he expends when he uses his powers. The last two detonations probably drained him further. However, that raises a serious problem in itself."
"What sort of problem?" Darien wanted to know.
"According to my scan, the concussive force of Duncan's second blast against us was nine percent stronger than the first. Even without a working visor, the last two were stronger still," Amy replied. The look on her face was one of open worry. "It looks like Duncan's explosions grows stronger each time he detonates. There's no telling how powerful his blasts can become. This is highly speculative mind you, even alarmist, but we can't rule out the possibility that Duncan's power, if unchecked could well reach....nuclear proportions."
Everyone went silent after what Amy said. They could all feel icy fingers run up and down their spines from the fearful implication.
"Dear God. And he's after my head," whispered Mina, openly nervous. She squeezed Lita's hand tight. "Guys, we've got to do something. Duncan was dangerous enough when he was only human. Now that he's become a monster, there's no telling how much destruction he can cause!"
"Or how many people he can kill," said Katrina. "For a maniac like Duncan, this power he's got is a bloodsoaked dream come true. And make no mistake, people, he's going to keep on killing until he gets his hands on Mina, if but for no other reason than because he enjoys it."
"Boy! You're just chock full of happy news, aren't you?" Lita growled at the Briton. "So far, you haven't impressed me, Miss Interpol. How about contributing something a little more useful to the conversation? Like telling us where that crazy bastard might be hiding?"
"If I knew where Duncan was, young lady, I'd already be there to pump a bullet into his diseased brain," Katrina snapped back. Lita's hostile attitude was grating on her nerves. "I no more want that maniac on the streets than you do! Given what Duncan can do, he's got to be found, and fast!"
"Excuse me, guys, but I have a question. Say we find Duncan and subdue him. How do we keep him from blowing up afterward?" a concerned Tanya wanted to know.
"That's a darn good question," said Darien, rubbing his chin. "Short of giving Duncan a lobotomy, or shooting him like Agent Howell suggested, I can't think of any other way to keep him under wraps."
"Then we must find a way. Amy and I will go over the data we have on Duncan and come up with options," said Talia.
"We'll help you," said Luna. Artemis nodded in agreement.
"While you do that, I'll have Inspector Sakurada issue an APB on Duncan. If he's gone to ground, finding him will be tough. Maybe he'll slip up and be spotted by someone."
"Maybe," Lita grunted. She then turned to Mina. "C'mon, babe. I'll walk you home."
Mina shrugged. "Might as well. There's nothing we can do until Duncan turns up again."
As everyone left Darien's apartment building, Raye was alone with her thoughts as she headed for home. She sensed that Talia was growing suspicious of her because of what she was hiding from everyone, especially Mina about her vision. I still don't know if I should reveal the truth, she thought. If I tell and I'm wrong, I'll frighten Mina more than she already is. But if I'm right....
Raye didn't want to think about that.
Duncan tossed and turned and thrashed in a bunk on Goro's boat, caught fast in the grip of the nightmare that plagued his sleep every night for the last two weeks.
His nightmare was always the same: being slowly brutalized and tortured by a demonic Sailor Venus who enjoyed every last second of his pain and misery. The golden haired demon laughed maniacally as she crippled Duncan with her laser beams, mocking him all the while for being weak, for allowing himself to be savaged by a girl. The nightmare always ended the same way, with Venus firing a blast right between his eyes, blowing his head off. And the girl demon just laughed.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" cried Duncan, bolting up from the bunk. Breathing hard, his clothes were plastered to his skin from sweat. But this time, there was something new, a deep, stabbing pain in his head that made him wince from discomfort. That bothered him as he rarely if ever suffered from headaches.
"That must've be one hell of a nightmare you keep having," said a smirking Goro, seated in a chair a few feet away. "You woke up screaming this morning too."
"Where am I?" Duncan asked.
"Back on my boat. The Scouts got medieval on your ass when you weren't making like a Roman candle," Goro replied. "After the last time you went boom, I found you out cold near the alley two blocks from the bank. If it weren't for me, you'd be in deep shit right now. You've been out for a good four hours."
Duncan rubbed his chin, a slight grin on his face. "So it was you who fired on the Scouts back there. Thanks, mate. I owe you."
Now it was Goro's turn to grin. "My pleasure, Mr. Seamus Duncan."
Duncan's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What did you say?"
"You heard me, friend. While you were out, I heard on the radio two hours ago that the cops issued an All Points Bulletin on you. Your secret's out."
"So I see. I should kill you for that, but you saved my neck," said Duncan. He rubbed his head which throbbed, though not as badly as it did when he first woke up. "I may be a low life hood, but I won't double-cross someone who pulled my fat out of the fire."
"The pleasure was all mine. I guess this means we're gonna be partners for awhile. I can live with that," said a smirking Goro. "Oh, by the way, I had the boys stash our haul from the bank here. I counted everything while you were snoozing. Your take comes to roughly two million."
Duncan dismissed what he had been told with a wave of his hand. "Keep it, mate. I'm not in this for the money. Hell, I don't figure on comin' through this alive anyway. If the cops or the Scouts don't take me out, that bitch from Interpol surely will. I just want to kill Venus, that's all."
"Well, I don't think it's gonna be as easy as you thought. Even with your powers."
"Can't argue that, mate. And I'm worn out from usin' 'em too," Duncan grunted. He yawned as fatigue set in. Yet he was secretly afraid to go back to sleep because he would have the nightmare again. "But I can't stop now. I don't have a choice. As long as Venus lives, I'll never have any peace. She's gotta die, Goro! Even if I die with her!"
Lita and Mina walked the distance to the Spencer home in complete silence, content just to hold hands as they dwelled separately on the battle this morning.
The girls tried to ignore the cold numbness of receding fear that always chilled them, and the others to the bone from having dodged death's icy touch yet again. The problem was, they couldn't. The Scouts never could. Being human, and so young made that impossible.
"Thanks for walking me home, love. Wanna come in for awhile?" Mina asked Lita after reaching the front door.
"Nah. I don't want to be a bother," Lita replied with a shake of her head.
Mina giggled. "Don't be silly. You could never be a bother to me." Her expression then turned serious. "Besides, I don't want to be alone right now."
"Aren't your folks home?"
"Yeah, but they don't understand what I'm going through," Mina replied gloomily. "Every time I leave this house to fight monsters like Duncan, usually with some lame excuse to my parents, I never know if I'll come back alive. And that scares me. Please, Lita. I....I need you."
Lita nodded. She could never refuse her best friend. "Sure."
After entering the house and saying hello to the Spencers, the two girls climbed the stairs to Mina's bedroom. Once behind the closed door, the girls sat on the bed. Lita, holding Mina's hand again studied her partner intently before she spoke. "Are you okay, babe?"
"I don't know, Lita. I really don't," said a glum face Mina. "For three years I tried to bury my past because of all the pain regarding Kat and Alan, only to have it jump up and bite me in the butt. Speaking of Kat, why are you so hostile towards her?"
Lita's face darkened from barely repressed anger. "Why do you think? She hurt you, Mina! She stole your lover!"
"No. She didn't. Despite what I told you in the park the other day, that's all wrong. Kat and I talked about that when she showed up here yesterday," said a dour faced Mina. "Turns out Alan was never mine for her to steal. Alan only thought of me as a friend, he couldn't love me because I was so young. My infatuation led me to jump to an awful conclusion about my relationship with him. A relationship that never existed."
"But it was Howell who betrayed you! You said as much!"
"I know. That was emotion talking, not reason. I can't blame Kat and Alan for revealing their feelings for each other after they assumed I was dead," said Mina. "I don't hate Kat anymore, Lita. She was my first really close friend. I loved her like a sister, just like I love you now, and it's tearing me apart to see the two of you fighting. Please, bury the shovel with her. For me."
For a time, Lita was silent. Then she let out a weary sigh. "That's 'hatchet'. Okay, I'll do it, but not for her. In the meantime, what about Duncan? Is there any reasoning with him?"
Mina shook her head. "None. Like Kat said, he's a psycho who loves to kill. He won't stop until I'm dead. Plain and simple. How ironic that Duncan is tied to that past I tried to bury regarding Kat and Alan. Now I'm afraid it's gonna bury me instead."
"Hey! Don't talk like that! Nothing's gonna happen to you!" Lita snapped angrily. She clasped Mina's shoulders and stared deeply into the blonde's eyes. "Listen to me, Mina. I'm going to protect you. No matter what it takes, I won't let Duncan, or anyone hurt you. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever."
Mina smiled fondly at her friend. "I know you will, honey. God, I'm so lucky to have you in my life."
Lita giggled. Her head spun from staring into Mina's huge blue eyes. "I think that's supposed to be my line, sweetheart." Her face darkened again, this time, from sadness. "You mean everything to me, Mina. You're my whole world. When you offered to let Duncan kill you this morning, my heart nearly stopped. Call me crazy, but if push ever came to shove, I'd rather die with you than live without you."
Mina's throat tightened from the emotion she felt from Lita's words. Her eyes filling with tears, the blonde gently cupped Lita's face in her hands. "Please, Lita. Don't ever think about throwing your life away because of me. I'm not worth it. Even though my mission is to keep the Moon Princess safe from harm, you're the one I really care about. The only one I really love."
"And I love you, Mina. I always have, and I always will."
For several moments, the two girls simply stared into each other's eyes, their hearts pounding in their chests. Then, driven by forces neither could understand, much less control, Lita and Mina slowly drew into an embrace and their lips joined in a long and tender kiss. Even though the girls had kissed before, the last time being a year ago on Miko Kimura's farm, this time, it was much different. Then, it was out of friendship, this time, it was from the powerfully intense feelings they both felt in their hearts for each other. Feelings they both suspected had lain just beneath the surface for months, but were afraid to acknowledge, either publicly or privately. Suddenly, the moment was broken when someone knocked on the door.
"Mina! Dinner's ready!" called Mrs. Spencer from the other side.
The girls, startled by the intrusion hastily broke apart, their faces red from shock and embarrassment.
"Huh? What? Did you say something, mom?" Mina asked.
"I said dinner's ready. Are you going to gab, or come down to eat?"
"Er, yeah! Eat! Be right there! Mom? Can Lita stay for dinner?"
A chuckle was heard. "Of course she can, dear. You know Lita's always welcome at our table."
"Cool! We'll be right down."
"Whoa! Where the hell did that come from?" a puzzled Lita asked.
"I'm not sure," said an equally confused Mina. "I honestly don't know what made me do that. It was if I, well....needed to kiss you."
"Me too. I felt the same way. God! That was so weird! Still, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. Mina, I think we need to talk. Big time."
Mina nodded. Like Lita, she savored the kiss, but didn't know what to make of it. "Yeah. We do. Right after dinner. C'mon."
NEXT: Hunters And Targets