Ok... reviews. Thanks as always to those who bothered to review... and I think I'll answer some questions. For some reason I didn't get as many reviews for the last chapter as I usually do... I hope that doesn't mean that it sucked.

This is all to Aino Yuy, because she was really the only one with questions.

Ok... the reason that Ami couldn't figure out who the computer belonged to was because her virus had previously destroyed everything, and I mean everything, on Heero's laptop except for the annoying floating clock in the lower right hand corner. Sucks for her...

Heero found out only about Minako, because he made the connection between her white ribbon during the day, and the white ribbon she wore in the library. And so far, he hasn't even met Rei...

What was shown on the news: footage from the surveillance cameras in the banks. Basically, the transformed scouts stealing money...

Authoress' quote:

"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

-Puck, from A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shakespeare
Setsuna went back to her post at the gates of time, and looked into the future. She frowned at what she found... every thing was different. Not unpleasant, but just... different.

Not like how it was supposed to be.

She supposed that there was no harm in letting things carry out the way they were now, it really wasn't her business how time chose to run. The future was still unclear... new molds for it being made every second. There was nothing to hold onto anymore, nothing to depend on. Everything Setsuna had believed to be inevitable was changing, morphing.

And she didn't know what to do.

It was fully in her power to change it back... to make it into the future that she had come to know so well. It would only take a moment of tampering to put things back on track, to make the future back into the unconditionally happy one that she had seen millions of times before.

It would only take a second, and no one would ever know the difference. No one could put the blame on her; after all, it was the future all of them expected.

So what was stopping her?

Doubt. It had to be doubt. Setsuna didn't know what had caused this sudden change, this almost violent uprooting of the stream of time. She couldn't place the blame on anyone... she didn't know who was tampering with time, and she couldn't for the life of her figure it out. All she knew was that whomever it was, they were extremely powerful... perhaps more skilled in the art of time than herself.

But that was ridiculous, no? She was the time mistress, the ruler of time! Who could ever know it better than the one who guarded it, and would always guard it?

Whoever it was, they were playing a dangerous game. One slip and everything would be ruined. One slip and the future would fall into darkness and chaos, without the scouts to protect it.

One slip, and everything she had fought to protect and preserve would be for nothing.

And Setsuna couldn't let that happen. This new future that had been created, this foggy future that was never seen before might collapse. It seemed... right though. In this future there was more happiness than in Neo- Tokyo. More opportunity.

A dilemma to be true. And there was nothing Setsuna could do without risking everything. Most likely, she had already done too much by showing the outers the news... they might ruin both futures. And if they did, then it would be all her fault.

And so she stood there, staff in her hand. Guarding the door from the trespassers that dared to approach it.

Because it was out of her control. There was nothing to do but to let fate play out its game.
Heero sulked.

Right after Duo had made the call to the new station, he had retreated to his room. The one that he, unfortunately, shared with Wufei. And now, devoid of the laptop that had been his companion for so many years, he found himself at a loss to what to do.

And so, he sulked.

He mentally berated himself for pulling up the gun, kicked himself over and over for not finishing it there. It had been the perfect opportunity, and he had thrown it away? Why? Because the thief just had to be someone that he knew.

But that hadn't stopped him before. He had killed countless others before, all for the sake of his mission. And he should have been able to do the same this time; after all, it would have completed the mission, wouldn't it?

No. Une said they had to be alive. Yes... that was it, Heero reassured himself. That had been the only reason that he had refrained from killing the girl. The only reason that she wasn't dead right now.

It had nothing to do with how her eyes seemed to hypnotize him. Nothing to do with how he felt a little throb in his chest whenever he thought of her. Nothing to do with his past.

Nothing at all.

After all, what else could it mean? He had only failed one mission before, and that was to kill Relena. And he had only done that because in some deep part of his subconscious, he knew that she was the only person that could really bring peace in the future. She had been Earth's only hope.

And so he had disobeyed his mission, to carry out his hope for the future.

Minako couldn't die, and neither could the other three thieves. It was against his mission. His mission was to bring her to the Preventers, to have her put on trial for her crimes, and to make her pay for her sins.

So why did he feel, if possible, even worse at that thought? Why did he think that the blonde would actually prefer death over imprisonment?

And why did he care what she wanted?

Finding no answers to his questions, he continued to mentally beat himself.

Minako found herself sitting over a basin of warm water, washing out her white ribbon. It had been the second time that week that she found herself in that position, sitting quietly as she tried to remove the dark stain of blood from her ribbon.

But at least this time the blood was her own.

She had almost completely gotten over the shock of being killed. After all, it wasn't like she hadn't faced certain death before. She had fought against demons, darkness, evil, and hell itself.

She'd be damned if she was going to let this overcome her.

No, she'd come too far already to stop now. She couldn't stop anymore, not until she was truly done. Not until Usagi was awake again, and in perfect health, smiling next to the rest of them, like in the past. She couldn't stop, not even if it killed her. And at the rate she was going it, she wouldn't be surprised if it did.

The water in the basin became increasingly dirty, gaining a deep, rust-like red color as Minako systematically rubbed at the ribbon. Finally done, she brought it out of the slightly orange-brown water as she examined the now washed white strip.

It still had tiny stains on it, stains that would never come out. But then again, Minako didn't expect them to.

Not anymore.

After all, it was too late.
Hakura drover her yellow convertible, going way above the speed limit. Michiru sat besides her, looking out the window at the dull landscape that was blurring past. Hotaru sat in the back, quietly reading a book. The faint strain of classical music was resonating through the car, relaxing the tense atmosphere.

A sing entered Michiru's line of vision as she continued to stare blankly out of the window. Flashing white block letters in the glare of the headlights, it read 'Entering Tokyo City Limits.'

'It won't be long no,' Michiru thought, with a sense of dread, 'It's just too fast.'

A quick glance at the blond besides her confirmed that Hakura was thinking exactly the same thing. However, both of the scouts chose silence in front of Hotaru, was still unaware of the situation. 'Hopefully,' Michiru thought, 'It would stay that way.'
The former Queen of the World sat in her office, full attention on the television in front of her. The scenes of robbery were flashing over and over, an annoyingly cheerful voice occasionally narrating.

The former sailor senshi have turned towards crime, the voice began to drone; Only four of the five scouts in the Tokyo area have been accounted for. The top league of Preventers has already been assigned to this case. They expect to catch the thieves soon, but are in need of information. If you have anything connected to this case, please call 713 222 TIPS.

Relena took of this in calmly. Soon she stood up and pressed a button on her intercom.

"Yes, Miss Relena?" A familiar voice sounded over the system.

"Dorothy, pack out bags. We're going to Tokyo."

There was a faint hum of static as Dorothy paused for a while. "May I ask why? The office is extremely busy at this time of year, and it is my personal opinion that leaving right now would not be beneficial for this organization."

"Noin is more than capable of covering for a few days, or even weeks if it is needed. I fully trust in her ability to run this organization as well as me." Relena replied, expecting this from her bodyguard and friend. "And as for why I'm going... it's because Heero's there."

Dorothy seemed to accept this without further doubt, as she had no more questions. "We will leave in four hours, Miss Relena."

Smiling and thankful for the other girl's understanding, Relena smiled. "Thank you, Dorothy."
That's it for ch. 14! I know not much happened and it's a little on the short side, but I had to get everyone together. There might be more action in the next ch., since I'm pretty sure that I'll introduce the outers. Relena won't show for a few more chapters, I'm afraid. And no, I don't plan on much, if any, Relena-bashing. Please review!

Love,

Inverse-chan

P.s. oh yeah... as to how Relena knew Heero was in Tokyo... the news report said that the top group of Preventers had been sent to solve the case. And since Heero's the perfect soldier, it was only natural for her to assume that he would be there.

Basically, she's just dieing to see Heero again. So what's new?