Disclaimer: Gundam Wing? Sailor Moon? What are those? What're you writing about? you ask? Hmm … see there's this guy named Hiiro Yui and then there's the girl named Usagi Tsukino and-oh-guess what? I invented them! HA! Blame it on the fever.

Thanks to my editors DevilsDarling, Usagi Asia Maxwell, Autumn Hime, and Lady Artemis for the various corrections of grammar mistakes that you no longer have to suffer due to their diligence. Really, you should be thanking them. Lol.

Thanks to Callisto for advice regarding plot. If you hate this fic, blame it on her. : P

Callie: Hey!

Angel: Haha ... you can beat me up later. ;D

Chapter Five: Innocence

He booted up his computer and flipped through his planner, ignoring the flashing screen and crunching sounds of the just-turned on machine. Cat-like green eyes barely glanced up as a copy of the morning paper was dropped onto his desk.

Usagi was still missing.

He frowned at the sudden thought and shook his head. There was obviously no use in avoiding the inevitable need to at least find out what became of her … however difficult the result might be to handle.

Jade green eyes blinked tiredly and turned upwards to stare at the bare patch of wall next to the heavy door to his office. Everything around him fell under the soft glow of the timid winter sun, and it suddenly wasn't a wonder that the building was half-sarcastically nicknamed Innocence by the feds a few years back. The name had stuck, and from then on the building of the most organized, most ruthless corporation of "criminals" became known as Innocence to all who referred to it.

"S-sir," was hesitantly stuttered into the cool room. The thermostat was purposely set at a low temperature to enhance vigilance. After all, there was no need to fall asleep on the job.

His eyebrow arched at the young man in front of him, nervous and stuttering, clearly a new recruit.

"Y-you-"

"Out with it," he uttered coldly, frowning but rapidly loosing interest.

The brunette in front of him gulped. "You should look at page A3."

The arched eyebrow never faltered as he slowly reached for the paper and irreverently unfolded it to said page. His insides turned to ice at the dispassionate, bold words.

"A-am I dismissed?" reminded him that he still had company.

He folded the paper back calmly. "Dial me the second number on the client list."

"Y-yes sir!"

Shooting a glare to his desktop screen that had finished loading, he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms, hatred bubbling up like venom in his system.

…………………

A blonde head poked into her office. "Miss, there's a call for you on line two."

She nodded gently. "Thank you. I'll take it now."

"Hello?" she inquired into the phone.

"Look in the morning paper." She instantly recognized the voice and glanced up to see the face she was expecting on the vid-com.

Frowning, she argued, "I already did."

"Look," Artemis insisted, and she sighed tiredly.

"It's too early in the morning for one of your pranks, Artemis," she warned, calling her secretary back into the room with a ding of the bell atop her desk.

"Miss?"

"Could you fetch me the morning paper again? Please?"

Dark brown eyes blinked confusedly at her as the petite woman stepped fully into the room. "But I thought you had already read it…"

"Apparently not well enough," she sighed and shot her an inquiring look. The blonde nodded and stepped back outside.

She turned back to the phone in her hand, barely glancing at the silver-haired man's pale and serious face on the screen. She hated it when he looked that grave and, well, deadly. Usagi had always been the one to bring out the better part of him. Honestly, one could hardly recognize him when he was in the company of his favorite. In his eyes, the bright-eyed girl could do no wrong.

"So what's this all about?" She leaned back in her chair and gazed expectantly at the face in front of her on the vid-com. Something that she thought would never appear on Artemis' face flitted over his features - hesitation.

An enigmatic reply answered her. "You'll see."

…………………

Wufei checked the weapons on his body, feeling the comforting knives strapped to the sides of his legs and checking the three handguns tucked into various hidden pockets of his jacket. It seemed awfully like overkill, but one could never be too sure when dealing with New York's and possibly the whole nation's most notorious organization of criminals.

He glanced to his side to meet one calculating emerald eye, glinting in the hotel room. Trowa Barton leaned against the painting-covered wall, distant, wary, and prepared. He didn't fidget under his partner's dark, sidelong gaze. "I've had questions regarding this mission," the auburn-haired man started.

His Asian partner next to him snorted. "Well, I'm obviously not the person to ask."

Trowa shifted.

"What, you getting cold feet, Barton?"

He chose to ignore the taunt. "Have you ever researched Artemis' little organization?"

Wufei snorted again. "Of course."

"No, I mean outside of the information the government allowed."

A wary, ebony eyebrow raised. "As in…"

Trowa shrugged, suddenly regretting ever bringing up the subject. He should have known Wufei was not the one to target with his suspicions - the Chinese agent was far too devoted to the government to side with him. But there was hope … perhaps. "Rumors, snatches of conversations here and there."

"Gossip is not a reliable source of information, Barton," the dark-haired man sneered at him, folding his arms over his toned chest. "If you're nervous, just admit it. No need inventing some fancy little story."

"People have been speculating that Artemis' group is actually, in their own twisted way, trying to right wrongs. And they seem to be doing a much better job than we are."

Obsidian eyes hardened as Wufei's features darkened, "What are you saying, Barton? That you owe more allegiance to this … this sophisticated gang than to the law?"

"Have you ever looked into the crimes?"

"They're crimes. What's to look into?"

"The purposes. Especially that Tsukino girl's - they were all returning items to their proper owners. And the victims of the returning crimes weren't particularly spotless either-"

"I'll give you the chance to shut up now, and I won't report this," he growled. Silence followed not long after the threat as Trowa looked away.

"Now, what are the plans for tonight? Innocence isn't a particularly easy place to get into."

…………………

Dread pulled at her heart as she flipped open the paper Karen handed back to her, slightly wrinkled from the previous, rushed going over.

"A3."

She flipped there, and her heart stopped. The hand tapping idly on the surface of the desk froze in mid-tap, and she gaped at the words in front of her.

"Artemis-"

Cool green eyes stared back at her. "Don't look at me. I don't know a thing."

"B-but … how could she have? She was the best! Hiiro Yui may be good but … he's not capable of getting to her so easily!"

"She was distracted."

Frowning at the electronic image, she drew her lips into a thin line. "Distracted?"

"Duo Maxwell."

"She … oh Lord … she didn't!"

His grim reflection flickered on the screen. "She did."

…………………

Artemis' insides were literally boiling with anger, but his exterior remained cool and calm, a façade needed to reassure the person in front of him. She didn't need even more stress upon her shoulders.

The nerve of that Hiiro Yui! The nerve of the entire government! Didn't they realize the people inside the walls of Innocence were doing the world a favor?! And especially … his eyes narrowed. Treize. The bastard must be fuming to be so close to Innocence yet utterly unable to undermine or end it in any way. It must've made him look pretty bad in the eyes of HIS superiors.

But that Yui boy. Of course Innocence had kept tabs on him. He was dangerous, ruthless, and recently, found out through private sources, an ex-Gundam pilot. There were a lot of things to be in awe of and to be wary of … but … but Usagi could have handled him! Usagi should never have been caught in the first place! Damn that Duo Maxwell.

The instant he got his hands on Hiiro Yui, the FBI agent was going to be BEGGING to die.

…………………

"So what are we going to do?" echoed forlornly in her head but came out softly into the phone.

Artemis sighed. "We're going to have to let her go … there's not much we CAN do."

Her eyes flashed at him. "We can't let her go! I have an obligation to her! And do you KNOW what her absence from your life will do to you?! It'll drive you INSANE! SHE is the sunlight in your life! Admit it!" Her heart was pounding excitedly at her throat, and she had long since stood up in order to intimidate.

Oddly enough, no backlash followed as she had imagined, confirming her fears of the silver-haired man's slow despair after the news. "I don't know. We have to get more information. But you have to stay where you are. Make no sudden moves. You're in no position to help."

"Tell me something I don't know," she sighed bitterly and sat back down.

…………………

The shot rang out sharply in the hotel air. She had closed her eyes, not wanting to see him fall limply, but after the slight daze following the action, she became aware of something. Something very wrong.

Pain clutched at the hand that grasped the gun and traveled down her arm in tremors.

"Took you long enough to decide whether or not to shoot," broke the silence.

Sky blue eyes flashed open with panic. "I-" Hiiro's dark gaze remained on her. She put two and two together and finally understood.

The gun remained in her hand, smoking slightly from the recent shot, but his hand had tightened around her own, forcing the gun upwards. The bullet had veered and instead only brushed past the side of his face. Crimson dripped from the flesh wound and splattered noiselessly on his sleeveless top.

"You'll never succeed."

Anger rose to her throat. "Oh yeah?"

He shrugged. "Try all you like."

In an instant, she pulled her hand from his grip and shot out blindly. He cursed and dodged to the best of his ability. The bullet lodged somewhere in his left arm, really pretty pathetic aim, on her part, at point blank range.

She ran.

…………………

Ah, I do truly love this fic. Lol. There are a few … interesting twists planned. Hopefully, you will not anticipate them … and, as always, thanks for bearing with me past the endless dialogue. You know I don't do it on purpose, right? ^_~ Yours, Angel.