A/N: sigh Hiei and Kurama don't know where in the CCS series this is, so I can't have them flat-out tell that. But since so many people have asked, this is set after Shaoran moves back to Hong Kong, but before he returns to Japan. Basically, after the anime series, in the gap between the actual story and the very last couple of pages in the manga. (Yes, around the time of the second movie -- feel free to include or ignore it as you like. It doesn't have any effect on the storyline.)

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Ch. 2 - The Attempt

Hiei knelt on a branch high in a tree, across the street from the elementary school. This was closer than he'd ever been to the girl or the angel -- dangerously close, particularly since she was outside right now. But it was necessary. Two weeks of survelliance had only proven to Hiei and Kurama that the Cards were better protected than they thought. By night, the girl and her Cards were with the Sun Guardian (who spent much of his time as a plush toy, a fact that had left the two thieves rolling with laughter the first time they'd seen him, stuffed into the girl's coat pocket). By day, the girl was rarely with the Sun Guardian, but the Moon Guardian, the angel, was always with the dark-haired boy who'd been drained of magic. This boy had turned out to be the girl's overprotective brother, and he was rarely more than a single mile from the girl. The angel could be at his Master's side -- and therefore, with the Cards -- at a moment's notice.

Hiei checked a clock inside the school, using his Jagan eye. 10:09 am. Kurama should be ready within a few minutes. Would be, actually. Hiei had to have faith in the fox. He couldn't delay much longer; gym class was nearly over. A quick glance through the high school next door showed the angel in class. The overlying image was intent on a test, though the angel underneath was watching the girl's brother. Good -- the Guardian hadn't noticed Hiei yet.

He flickered and darted into the school. It took half a second to pick the lock on the girls' locker room, and then he was in. Finding the girl's locker was easy. He didn't need to look for her name or student number, for the deck itself nearly hid it. Dozens of sleeping, pastel beings -- humans, animals, inanimate objects, and even a couple of living patterns, all embodiments of magical principles -- were impossibly crammed into one locker. The images shifted and flickered, twisting around each other as Hiei's mind tried to cope with the impossibility of the visuals his Jagan was sending to his brain. But Hiei was used to this, and simply shut his eyes.

Reaching out, brushing sensitive fingers over the thin metal doors, Hiei found the combination knob nearest to the beings. A slow spin to the left-- around, and around, and then inching until the tumbler clicked -- then back, until the tumbler clicked again, and forwards a smidgen more, the last tumbler falling into place. He lifted the latch, stretched his other hand into the locker, and felt for the purse. Folded clothing, metal wall, hook-- ah. Purse strap.

He snatched it out, slammed the door closed, spun the tumbler, and darted from the school at his top speed.

I got it-- I got them-- I got the Clow Cards--! He couldn't help it. Just finding them had been more than anyone else had ever managed, and actually GETTING them... Hiei desperately reminded himself that it was too early to be excited (after all, they had to get the book, and then survive the Guardians), but the excitement remained.

Seconds later, and miles away, Hiei skidded to a stop before a park bench. Kurama sat on it, his eyes closed, a vine resting in his lap and curling down the bench legs, into the woods. "Got it," Hiei announced, calling Kurama's attention back to his body.

"Mm...?" Kurama's eyes opened, just a slit. Hiei opened the purse and held it directly in the fox's line-of-sight, careful not to touch the Cards themselves. A moment passed, while the miniscule bit of Kurama's mind that wasn't focused on his vine processed the sight. "Are they... supposed to be... pink?"

"What?"

"They're pink."

Hiei glanced down, but he couldn't see anything past the magic. "So what? Can you get the book?"

"Mm." That wasn't agreement. Hiei frowned, but Kurama added, "Sun's too close." Oh. The Sun Guardian was too close to the book. Kurama went fully into his trance again, and Hiei tucked the purse under his cloak and plopped onto the bench to wait.

Light flickered at the corner of his eye. He tensed to glance over, but Kurama abruptly sucked in a breath and jerked out of his trance, bolting to his feet. "The Guardian's coming!" he hissed.

Hiei jumped to his feet as Kurama tossed his vine deep into the trees behind them. "How?" he asked sharply. How had they--? Another flicker of light in the corner of his eye, and Kurama yanked open Hiei's cloak.

Flat rectangles of light were zipping from the purse, through the pale leather, darting off into the sky towards the school. The Cards--! The Master could call them back-- was calling them back! Hiei pulled his warding bandages from his pocket -- they could wrap up the rest, keep them and recollect the lost ones-- Kurama caught his wrist.

"He's tracking the Cards, he must be--!" No more needed to be said. Hiei threw the purse to the ground, using the warding cloth to hide his Jagan instead, and they ran.