Strike Force Five Part 14
The Beginning of the End
Khushrenada made a grand performance of removing his cape, folding it nearly and hanging it over a tree limb. The Colonel also made an equally showy spectacle of unbuckling the holster that held a large caliber pistol that he no doubt carried to compensate for his undersized manhood.
Trowa used the interval while Khushrenada put on his one man show to plan his strategy and show up his nerve. He had to have a clear mind and centered concentration because anything less would assure his defeat.
With much fanfare the Colonel shrove into a patch of ground opened up by the soldiers circling aside. This moving apart not only formed an "arena" for the upcoming contest but put more space between the troopers, space that Trowa could possibly use as an escape route.
Trowa stretched to loosen his muscles, took up a defensive stance and waited for Khushrenada to make the first move.
"I am going to enjoy this." the cocky Colonel announced. "I would have liked
the opportunity to examine your sexual prowess, to find out if you are as good as you look but I suppose I will have to test your stamina in another, less satisfying, way."
Khushrenada had to do a great amount of posturing. Trowa hoped that his strutting about was more pompous exhibitionism than any actual substantive fighting potency. But Trowa was certain of one fact, there would be no rules...no congenial combat of tag and retreat. The OZ Colonel would use every means to win because nothing short of total mastery of his opponent would satisfy his inflated vanity.
*********
Quatre had sensed the sentry seconds before he emerged from the shadows. He had "seen" the SR42 in his mind but could not warn his lover. It had taken all of Wufei's strength to hold his comrade in place, to keep his promise of protection.
Again Wufei's strong arms enfolded about Quatre as they both braced for the combat to begin. Quatre prayed for his lover's safety. Wufei called on his ancestors to lend Trowa guidance and aide just as they had helped their Lone Dragon in the past.
"Trowa please come back to me." Quatre whispered as Trowa and Khushrenada readied for their battle.
*********
The combatants squared off staring each other down like a pair of game cocks. Trowa centered his sight then issued the invitation to fight. "Whenever you are ready."
Khushrenada made the initial charge aiming a side kick at Trowa's stomach.
Countering with a sword hand chop Trowa deflected the kick then followed through with a hammer fist punch to Khushrenada's shoulder. The aim was not perfect but it hit hard enough to knock him off balance.
Tottering backwards the Colonel swayed sideways. As he fought to keep his feet under him Trowa took advantage of his opponent's unsteadiness delivering a swift hook punch to Khushrenada's ribs. Sputtering and cursing Khushrenada struck out in a fit of rage but his wild punches missed Trowa completely.
The fighters moved apart each taking a moment to recoup and regroup. "You are quick I will grant you that much." Khushrenada wheezed. It was obvious that the Colonel had been lax in his conditioning as he sucked in shallow gulps of air.
Trowa displayed a thin-lipped smile, "I don't supposed you would like to surrender now and save yourself a lot of pain?"
Khushrenada straightened up and returned his opponent's coy smile. "I would advise you not to underestimate me." the OZ assassin warned, "I am full of surprises."
The smile vanished from Trowa's face. "Show me your surprises."
Khushrenada lunged forward throwing a right cross. Trowa ducked the punch but failed to avoid the elbow strike that followed. The pointed joint impacted Trowa's mouth then slipped up under his nose. Blood seeped from one nostril and oozed from a split in his bottom lip.
Trowa swiped his thumb across the cut then held up the sticky finger for closer inspection. "Is that the best you can do?" Flicking his tongue over the tacky blood-coated finger he savored the coppery taste. "The first blood a warrior sheds in battle is the most powerful," he declared, "and I will use that power to destroy you."
This time the Colonel had no cocky retort. A curt snort was his only answer as he launched his second charge with a front snap kick. Trowa heard the "whoosh" as the rapidly rising black boot barely missed his face.
In that brief instant as the retreating boot settled back on the ground Trowa, with a breathtaking display of strength and grace, leaped into the air and executed a perfect spinning roundhouse kick. Instead of a hollow hiss in the air there was a solid smack as the full force of Trowa's booted foot plowed into Khushrenada's head.
This time it was the Colonel's turn to bleed as red droplets sprayed in all directions. Bright starbursts flashed over his vision momentarily blinding him and opening him up to Trowa's fury. Trowa bent his lean legs into a cat stance, balanced his weight and landed the finishing blow sending the once mighty Colonel down hard on his haughty ass.
Khushrenada braced his elbows on the dew-damp ground. Watery eyes gazed up staring into Trowa's piercing emerald sight. "This fight is over." Trowa announced. "It was over for you long ago."
Khushrenada's face was flushed, swollen and bruised. Raspy breaths rattled in his lungs. "Over." he repeated huskily. Spitting out bloody salvia he hissed through clenched teeth. "Oh no this is far from being over."
Trowa pointed a trembling finger down at the now, not so cocky, Colonel. "This farce had gone on long enough. Get up you bastard!" Trowa ordered harshly leaning down to grab a fitful of the Colonel's scarlet uniform jacket. With a hard yank he jerked Khushrenada to his feet.
The defeated Colonel tottered on wobbly knees that threatened to give way. Trowa shored up his grip flexing his muscles to keep Khushrenada standing. "What's wrong used up all your surprises?" Trowa taunted running his tongue over his own dry, swollen lips relishing the salty aftertaste.
Khushrenada's eyes met Trowa's steely sight with a unexpectedly strong glare. A sneer curled up his lips. "One more surprise rebel." There was a sudden blur of motion, a glint of light then something cold and unyielding centered on Trowa's temple.
In his side vision Trowa could just make out the shape of a silver-plated derringer. The small weapon's accuracy range was limited but with the slim barrel pressed painfully into his temple Trowa knew that the mini-pistol was a very real threat.
A sharp click sounded in Trowa's ear confirming that the hammer was cocked and ready to deliver its single deadly projectile. "Impressed?" Khushrenada snickered increasing the pressure to empathize the question.
The derringer shook in the Colonel's hand as he tightened the trigger. The hammer quivered awaiting the final command to fire. "Now you know why I am such a valuable asset to OZ," Khushrenada boasted loud enough for his soldiers to hear, "and why you could never be my equal."
Trowa stared straight ahead refusing to give the bragging son of a bitch any satisfaction. Treize Khushrenada would not hear him beg for his life, there would be no pleas for mercy. He knew that there was on benevolence in the Colonel's black heart for the devil's bastardly stepchild had been spawned from pure evil.
Trowa drew in a breath and let it out in a faint sigh. He was not afraid to face death for he had long ago settled his debt with the fates. But his heart arched as the sorrow of being separated from his precious soul mate wound around like a serpent until it felt as though his heart was being rent in two.
In his last moments Trowa mentally called out to Quatre hoping that their empathic connection could be made one final time. He needed to tell Quatre how much he loved him and that they would meet again in the next realm never to be parted again.
*Quatre please forgive me for not keeping my promise.* his mind begged his lover's pardon for his failure. *If my sins are not too great and I am granted peaceful rest in heaven then we will be together again because I know that your angelic soul will not be turned away.*
Trowa locked his unwavering sight with his OZ executioner. "Go on shoot."
"What's wrong used up all your fight?"
Trowa didn't reply. He concentrated on Quatre and the mental link that he prayed his lover could feel. *This is not the end.* Trowa heard his lover's voice as clearly as if he was standing beside him.
Khushrenada leaned closer so that his hot breathe bushed over Trowa's face, "Have you made your peace?" he mocked with a tone drenched in sarcastic bile. His finger tightened...the hammer moved forward.
"Treize Khushrenada!" A voice shouted out his name. The voice did not call from anywhere around the Colonel but from inside his head. His finger relaxed at the unexpected noise. The hammer slowly eased back into the safety catch.
The OZ officer searched over Trowa's shoulder, across the clearing to find the phantom sound. A translucent outline bathed in a shimmering golden aura floated above the ground. Wisps of blond hair feathered about a face that projected an angelic countenance. The wavy shape appeared to be a person but the halo glow was so bright that it hurt his eyes to stare into the yellow light. Slowly Khushrenada's blinded sight adjusted to the brightness. Just as gradually twin pinpoints of azure blue formed wide expressive eyes.
Suddenly the Colonel found that he could not tear his eyes away from those glimmering orbs. Then to his horror he watched as the blue centers of sight began to darken like thunderclouds until they were as cold and black as midnight. The golden light also began to change growing darker, more sinister, by the second.
A numbness started in the Colonel's feet and slithered its way, inch by debilitating inch, up his spine until he was chilled to the core. Arms and legs began to tremble, lungs gasped for air and his heart pounded in his chest.
Trowa did not have to look around to know what held Khushrenada in such terror. He could sense his soul mate's mental connection so strongly that it, too, made Trowa tremble. "Quatre." he whispered out the dear name.
"Trowa finish this." Quatre commanded through their cerebral link.
Treize Khushrenada was made speechless by the frightening apparition. He could not think, could not move, having lost all his ability to make his body cooperate.
In less than a heartbeat Trowa pivoted and his hand closed around the derringer. In the same fraction of time the miniature weapon was aimed squarely between Khushrenada's mesmerized eyes. It wasn't until the gun's cold steel stung his flesh that the Colonel was freed from Quatre's mind-induced hypnotic trance.
Khushrenada's eyes widened at the realization that the tables had been turned. Now he felt the painful pressure, heard the hammer click into place and knew that the end of his life was at hand.
He tried to lift his arms but they were pinned to his sides. He struggled to shift his position but it was as if his boots had sprouted roots that were anchored in the ground. He attempted to speak but his voice came out as a pitiful whimper.
All the horror-struck Colonel could do was stare at the dark angel as black raven wings unfurled from the young man's shoulders and stretched out to embrace Trowa.
"Winner." The surname crawled up Khushrenada's throat and burned his lips as they formed the single word. Deep inside his gut the OZ Officer felt the heir's power as Quatre merged his consciousness with his father and mother's spirits that had waited so long to be free.
Then the multitude of souls slain by Treize Khushrenada joined the avenging spirits shrieking out in anguish to also be free. The shrill wailing resounded in the vile murderer's brain penetrating every cell until his mind splintered into a thousand crystallized shards.
"NOOOO!" Khushrenada screamed as insanity plunged his senses into perpetual twilight.
Mercifully the madness took over just before Trowa squeezed the trigger. The ghostly screeches muted the bang as the derringer spit sparks in the darkness. The Colonel's benumbed body didn't register the searing pain as the bullet tore through his brain and existed the back of his head.
Chunks of bone flew apart. Blood and rent flesh splattered from the exploding hole. An odd sound rose from Khushrenada's throat as his upper torso jerked violently. Streaming red currents covered his wide eyes frozen in a sightless stare, shutting out his last vision of Quatre's retributive glare of hate.
One wrenching, convulsive fit of agony snapped Khushrenada's head back with a sharp pop. The dislocating contortion sent him to the ground where he laid withering and twisting as his brain short-circuited. Little by little the tremors lessened until only his hands twitched. Then even the sightless shudders stopped fading away with his life force.
Trowa gazed down at Khushrenada's deformed features with no regret or remorse. He stared into fixed pupils filmed over with death's glassy glaze. He studied the Colonel's face encrusted with dirt and bloody congealed secretions with no outward sign that the OZ Officer's death held any more importance than putting down a rabid dog.
The nightmare was finally over. Quatre's father and mother had been given quiet rest. The countless souls ripped from their earthy home now had a sure path to cross the bridge into eternity.
"Trowa." a soft voice called followed by the familiar touch of his lover's hand.
Trowa's eyes met Quatre's clear sight. His hand reached out to touch his angel, to assure himself that the person before him was actual flesh and bone and not the phantom that had extracted Treize Khushrenada's deserved punishment.
Quatre melted into Trowa's embrace burying his face in his chest. Their hearts beat in unison. Their minds formed a bond that nothing in heaven or hell could sever. Then they sealed their everlasting union with a kiss so hot with passion that invisible flames leaped into the moonless night.
"I love you." Quatre whispered as their lips parted.
Trowa tucked several stands of blond hair behind Quatre's ear. "I love you." he replied realizing just how powerful those three words could be.
*********
Wufei had positioned himself off to the side employing his pistol to keep the OZ soldiers in their places but the stunned troopers had indicated by their discarded weapons that they did not intend to fight back.
Trowa turned to his comrade and offered his hand in appreciation. "Arigato for keeping Quatre safe."
Wufei took the extended hand and gave it a firm shake then he stepped back bowing in humble respect for his fellow warrior. "You have exiled Quatre's demons to dwell in netherworld. You were faithful in your promise."
Then he focused his ebony eyes on Quatre and bowed again. "You have the heart of a dragon and I am honored to call you my friend."
*********
The trio of soldiers stood dumbfounded in shocked astonishment unable to turn away from the grotesque sight of their fallen Commander. The splintered gap in Khushrenada's partly missing skull, oozing out pulpy brain matter mixed with thick sappy fluid, held the men spellbound by the sickening sight.
Trowa understood the young men's terror. Gazing into their pale faces he knew how their world had been turned upside down. Whether they had volunteered or had been conscripted to join in the madness Trowa knew their tormenting nightmares would be as real as his and that their lives would be forever altered by the senseless cruelty of war.
As Quatre rested peacefully in Trowa's arms he turned to the shaken soldiers. "Get out of here!" he exclaimed angrily.
The surprised soldiers didn't immediately respond believing that they hadn't correctly heard the order. Wufei standing nearby also gave them cause to wonder if they should dare to move.
Wufei was caught just as off guard by Trowa's statement. "Trowa?" he questioned his comrade's motives.
Trowa bound up his embrace not ever wanting to let Quatre go. "There has been enough killing," he replied, "enough pain and suffering to last a lifetime."
He looked back at the bewildered troopers. "I said get the hell out of here!"
The former members of OZ's military establishment quickly decided not to give their liberator time to change his mind. Casting a wary glance at Wufei, who made no move to stop them, the freed soldiers scurried into the forest well away from the victorious intruders and the compound's impending doom.
TBC...
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