Chapter Five: Assassins Alive

*Quatre heard the door open and close, then silence fell upon the room. It was almost as if no one had knocked on the door to begin with. What was going on? Sighing, he stood and grimaced. Maybe it had simply been his imagination. He was too tired, he needed to…

"Not one sound, not one movement, or I'll slit your throat." A dark, deranged voice echoed through the halls.

And very slowly, Quatre turned on his heel, his face contorting in a horrible effort. Finally, he could withstand the pressure no more. Breaking out in hearty peels of laughter, he grinned and amiably approached the stranger who had entered the room.

"Trowa Barton! Trowa, Trowa, Trowa! How are you?"

"Quatre." The figure acknowledged him, putting away the large knife he had been wielding. "You should lock your doors at night. One of these days you'll regret being so damn trusting of the human race."

"Trowa, you worry too much. Maybe you should be a little more trusting—you'd be surprised at what people can teach you." Quatre smiled tiredly.

"Unfortunately, Quatre, I cannot afford to be as trusting as you. In fact, you can't really afford the risk at the moment either." Trowa grimaced, and Quatre's face quickly became stone hard, smile gone and replaced with a frown. Deep worry lines that had long ago been etched into his brow appeared, and he looked as though he had instantly aged ten years.

"Trowa? I should have known something was wrong when you showed up after nearly ten years of minimal contact. What's happened?"

"The White Witch has been growing in power over these last few years, as you well know."

"Of course. I hired you to keep a close eye on all movements of the woman Relena Darlian, who has since change her name to simply the 'White Witch'."

"And you know that even I, with all my power and spells as a sorcerer, could not track down that voodoo hag."

"Yes." Quatre nodded, fully understanding Trowa's words. More than anyone, Quatre knew how dearly Trowa wished he could hunt down the White Witch and bring her to justice. Quatre remembered the day Trowa had walked into his house, a beaten and tried man.

(~~)

"Trowa? What happened? Did you apprehend Darlian?" Trowa looked up, and Quatre saw tears streaming down his face. "Jesus Trowa, what happened!"

"Yui and I tracked her to a small town where she had almost completed another of her government plots. We were able to stop her." Trowa sobbed.

"Where is she? Jail, where she belongs? Trowa—was Yui…?"

"No, he's fine. She got away after we stopped her. But she didn't get away with nothing. Quatre, she took her!"

"Took who?" Now Quatre was even more concerned for the well being of his friend. Trowa Barton was one of the most experienced sorcerers, even for his age. He had seen it all, done it all, been through it all. But if Trowa was crying, then something must have been lost that had been more important to him than life itself.

"My sister. That witch stole my little sister!" As Trowa boomed his voice, the walls and very floor beneath them began to shake, and a vase that had been on display in the hallway could be heard as it fell to the floor and shattered. "She stole my baby sister." Trowa sobbed. All Quatre could do was lay a hand on his good friend's shoulder.

"We'll find her Trowa. Relena won't get away with it this time."

(~~)

"But even now, though we do not know the whereabouts of the Witch herself, we have, however, learned that she is sending out two assassins. Quatre, one of them is after you."

"After me? What for?"

"Quatre. You are the one who funded our hunt of Relena Darlian, and since then you have sent out as many legislative bills as you can against everything she wanted to accomplish. You've ruined her, for all intensive purposes. Sure, Yui and I do your dirty work, but you reap the benefits. She wants you dead."

"She's mad!" Quatre cried. Trowa looked at him pointedly.

"Obviously."

"Who is the other assassin after?"

"Chang Wufei."

"Another advocate against Darlian."

"Yes. You and Chang together have closed the books on her operation. Both assassins should be striking soon. The information we had told us tonight would be your assassination, tomorrow Chang's. We aren't, however, sure who she's sent, or what time. I'm here to stop your assassin."

"Thanks Trowa."

"Which is why you should lock your door more often." Trowa smirked.

"Why don't we barricade ourselves in my downstairs office? No windows, one door, no chimney, and you can hear just about everything coming."

"Fine." Trowa nodded. The two men walked off towards the office—Quite oblivious to the fact that there had been a petite figure standing silently in the shadows, watching, waiting.

Serena had thought the opportune moment had come the moment Quatre Winner had been alone. And then that man, that 'Trowa', had appeared, with news of her mission. How was it that he had found out about her assassination attempt? What information had leaked? The only people that lived with them were herself, Duo, Hotaru, and her Mother.

How it happened, she finally came to the conclusion, was not important. She remembered the name Trowa from somewhere. Perhaps he had been mentioned by her Mother as a possible roadblock to her plans. Well, if he had, she wouldn't be tangoing with him until she was absolutely certain of his abilities. A sorcerer? Duo!

Serena had to scrub her mission and tell Duo to as well! Otherwise, Duo would be caught by this Yui fellow. Never before had she heard his name, but if it was associated with Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei, then he must be a danger to them as well.

As quickly as she could, Serena made for the window she had crept through, and scaled the roof. Over the wall and into the night she fled, only the sound of leather whipping about her softly echoing through the empty, black night.

Once she had gotten out of the way of the major arteries and public buildings, Serena made her way to the boat docks. The night air was damp with the salty air, and the small waves of the evening tide coming in lapped gently against the pillars of the pier. In the distance she heard the vague throaty calls of the sea lions as they settled in for the night.

Searching for an empty warehouse, she quickly found one and stepped inside. After checking the house over from top to bottom twice to make certain it was deserted, Serena settled down and pulled out a mirror. She would take care of these minor inconveniences right now, instead of waiting to get home. Tapping on the mirror gently, it became bright green.

"The White Witch" She whispered. Immediately, the mirror swirled, green becoming a rich blue, and then royal purple until it finally revealed what she wished to see.

"Serena." Her Mother's blinding smile greeted her. "You have completed your mission so soon?"

"Mother." Serena's head hung with shame. "I have not yet attempted my mission." Serena muttered. There was nothing she hated worse than letting her Mother down, nothing felt worse than failing her Mother.

"What do you mean, you have not yet attempted the mission? How much clearer need I be? Kill Quatre Winner Serena."

"Mother, there was a man at his home this evening. He knew I was coming. He knew I was going to be there to attempt the assassination. Winner called him Trowa. I thought the name sounded familiar, so I bailed, in case I was not to interfere with him in any way."

"Trowa!" Serena looked at her Mother in awe. Never before had her Mother looked so… frightened. She was terrified, and all of this one man, this Trowa.

"Yes Mother, Trowa. But it doesn't stop there. They also knew that Duo was going to attempt to kill Chang Wufei tomorrow night. A man named Yui was to be sent there to foil the plans."

"Hiiro Yui." Her Mother whispered. Serena saw a wistful look grace her Mother's face, and then one of spite. "So they think they know, do they? Well, there's been a slight change in plans Serena. My dear, dear child. You are to head to Chang Wufei's home tonight and murder him. Before Hiiro Yui arrives. Duo will be sent to deal with Winner at a later date."

"And what if I run into Yui tonight?" Serena asked.

"Assassinate Chang Wufei Serena, I don't care how you do it." The White Witch clipped. Serena nodded.

"Yes Mother, I understand." Serena nodded. It didn't matter whether Yui was there or not, she was to kill Chang Wufei. Well, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. She was used to quick changes in plans, this would be no different. Get in, kill, and get out.

Putting the mirror away quickly, Serena stood. Chang Wufei lived ten blocks from the Capital Building. That was ten minutes away from these docks. Flying, she would be there within the hour. Smiling darkly, Serena stood. Removing her ankle length leather coat, she stretched her black wings to their full length. Eight feet to each side, her wings fluttered and flapped as she readied them. On again went her coat, and her wings slipped through the enchanted holes in the back. And then she was gone, in a flurry of feathers and swiftness.

Over the docks she passed a few men who had gotten a little too drunk and decided to take a trip to the sea, and still a few more who were working to unload a cargo boat that had pulled into port only moments before. Once she was up in the dusty fog, she had an easy time flying low and still retaining her secrecy.

Over the Capital Building she flew, and as she passed by, she made she to frown and stick her tongue out at the past Presidents and famous people who were permanently displayed outside the Building in stone and cement. They were the cause of her Mother's discomfort, thus the bane of her existence.

Finally Serena reached the house she had been searching for and landed with the greatest of ease just inside the tall black, rod-iron gate that had been erected to keep insane and murderous people out. People with intentions like her very own. Serena smirked, then licked her lips in anticipation of the completion of her mission. Her Mother would be so proud! The only real draw back was that she did have to kill. Kill. She shuddered. No. She had been trained for this from the time her Mother, the White Witch, had adopted her, and she would not fail.

Quietly, as if she were a tiger stalking her prey, she slipped through the yard and up to the walls of the house. The white stucco was a small drawback— she stood out as she leaned against it in her black—but it was a minor inconvenience. She would not be around anyone place long enough for it to make much of a difference. She would perhaps be more worried if the White Witch hadn't been able to destroy her shadow permanently.

Serena quickly surveyed the situation, and decided the best way in would be through the open window on the second floor of the house. If she was very lucky, it would be Chang Wufei's window left open for the night. If she was not, it would simply mean a little more prowling would be needed.

Shifting slowly, she allowed her wings to lift her to the balcony, and then over the rail. Landing gracefully, she slipped silently into the room, palming a large silver dagger in one hand, and a shorter, more mobile knife in the other. Looking down at her hands, she changed her mind, and slipped the little one into her army boot. Nodding in surety of herself, she then slipped around the room. No one was inside, though it was apparent that it was very well indeed Chang Wufei's bedroom. The personal effects that sat on the dressers were proof enough of that.

Finally Serena swept into the hallway, slowly and sure-footedly. It was obvious that Chang was downstairs—the only lights in the house were on downstairs. But Serena never saw the figure cloaked in black sneaking up behind her. She never heard a sound, and, she never saw a thing as she was knocked out from behind. *

~~~Haha! Proud of me? I've finally got a new chapter of this out! Now it's Angel's turn! Please review and tell us what you think so far!!! Much love, Vixen~~~