Hey guys! It's me! And it's only been a week since the last update! Aren't you proud?

I had no idea I would be updating this soon... but don't get used to it. I'm not really sure how to write the next chapter, so it might take a while.

Thanks for all of the reviews! I'm so glad to see that not all of you have forgotten me! -

I don't own GW or SM. It's really quite silly that you think I do.

"Usagi! Wait up!" Minako heard her cheerful voice ring out. She saw herself, her dream self, running, running to a person that was vivid in her mind's eye. "Wait up, Usagi!"

And she did wait, the moon princess stopped and turned around, a wide smile on her face. "Hi, Mina-chan!"

Minako saw herself finally catch up, stopping huffing and puffing from the exertion. A little bead of sweat trickled down he other self's forehead, but she brushed it away without a second thought. She looked up into Usagi's eyes and saw them full of life, not empty and dead.

"Where are you going, Usagi?" Minako heard herself say, naivety ringing in her voice. "We're supposed to go to the temple today and study, remember?" The other her said with confusion in her voice.

"I'm going out with my family after all. It's important, Minako. I don't think I should miss it... I'm sure that Rei'll understand."

"No, I'm actually quite sure Rei'll yell at you for being lazy." Minako heard herself joke.

'STOP!' the real Minako yelled out to the dream Minako. 'DON'T LET USAGI GO! STOP HER, MINAKO! PROTECT HER!'

And they couldn't hear her, because she didn't exist yet. She was just a figment of the future, warning of the horror to come. She had no power in the past.

'NO!' Minako screamed, but her voice held no substance.

"I guess I'll cover for you at Rei's though... but I'm warning you that I won't get in the way if she decides to throw a flame sniper or two at you." The younger Minako said, a smile on her face. A smile that would soon be wiped away, a smile that would soon become nothing but a bitter memory.

'STOP HER, MINAKO!'

"Thanks, Mina. I know I can count on you," Usagi said, her last words to the other blonde. Words that would always haunt her, because no, Usagi couldn't count on Minako. No one could... she would just let them all down.

"See ya tomorrow, Usagi," the dream Minako said, turning her back for good.

'STOP!' Real Minako yelled, invisible to everything around her. 'Please... stop." She cried out weakly, powerless as she saw Usagi step into the car and speed off.

'oh please stop. please...'

'...please'

Ami spun around, shard in her hands held like a dagger. Immediately, her eyes fell on a familiar shape, and she sighed with relief, letting the shard drop harmlessly to the floor. Calming her racing heart, she tried to wipe away her paranoia.

"Makoto, you scared me." Ami said, the understatement of the day. "Don't sneak up on me like that, especially now."

"I could tell." Makoto answered, eyeing the shard that had further cracked on the floor. "I just heard a crash and came to see if you were alright. I didn't mean to scare you really. Jumpy lately?"

Ami nodded, and suddenly remembered the bug in her other hand. She put a finger up to her lips in a hushing manner, and showed the little black disk to Makoto. Makoto immediately caught on, and fell into a silence.

Walking over to the sink and careful not to step on any of the shards, Ami filled a bowl with water, and dropped the bug in. She looked on as it crackled with electricity and then stopped, dead. And even if it weren't, the water would keep any conversation from reaching it.

"It was a electronic bug, hidden in the roses." Ami quickly explained to Makoto.

"The roses? The ones for Minako?"

"Yes."

"The new kid sent them... Heero Yuy."

Ami looked grim. "We need to keep a close eye on him. I think he might be one of the preventers that was sent after us... and who knows what he could have found out about us already. That bug's been here for the whole afternoon, while I was searching the laptop. We can't take any risks, and we can't afford to assume that he doesn't know anything."

The Jovian nodded, agreeing. "He's after Minako. We need to warn her somehow. The transmitters?"

The blue-haired senshi thought for a moment, and then nodded. They should be safe, and all transmissions were on a safe line. There was no way that they could be tracked. "Send a message to Minako right now. I'll clean up the kitchen."

Makoto hurried out to do just this, and Ami turned to the mess around her. She grabbed a broom from the corner and began to sweep everything into a pile, her cup of coffee forgotten. After all, she had more important things on her mind now.

Minako woke up groggily from her nightmare, a small beeping coming from across the room. Looking at the clock, she wasn't surprised to see it blinking 11:27. It wasn't even morning yet, and already she was getting wake up calls.

Not that she wasn't grateful in the given situation of course... anything was better than that nightmare. It was the worst... that one and the one in which she was falling forever into a well of darkness. They never seemed to go away, to leave her in the peace she desperately wanted.

Shaking her head from her thoughts and dreams, she leaned over to her book bag. Rummaging through it, she quickly pulled out the communicator. Glancing at the clock, she knew it had to be serious if someone was calling her this late.

Flipping it open, she saw the worried vision of Makoto, thankfully not transformed. "Mako-chan? What's wrong?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"Minako... are you and Rei alright?" were the first concerned words out of the senshi's mouth.

Minako blinked, confusion apparent. "Yes... why? Is there something wrong?"

"Someone bugged the temple. We think it's that new transfer student... Heero Yuy."

"Heero? The friend of Duo? Is Duo a suspect too?" Minako asked in a rush, mind buzzing with new information. "And Trowa? Maybe they're the Preventers we're searching for!"

"Nothing's definite yet, but be sure to watch your back around those three. They're lurking around the temple, and acting suspicious. I don't know why I didn't pick up on it earlier..."

"But that's only three, Mako. There were at least five at the library... where are the other two?" Minako asked, running through the events of that dark, confusing night.

"I don't know. Be sure to tell Rei in the morning. And remember to stay low. The bug was in the flowers that Heero sent to you, so it seems like you're the one they're singling out as of now. And we can't have you found out... you're the only remaining backbone in this team." Obviously tired, Makoto ran a hand through her hair sighing. "Don't come back to the temple, either. Rei should get what materials you need... she's the safest since she doesn't go to our school. I don't think she's been targeted yet."

"Mako... the temple belongs to Rei. I'm sure it won't be long before she's being followed too. And we can't possibly be cooped up for forever. We need a better plan. And for that, we need to see each other."

"And make it easier for them to find us? I don't think so. And the Preventers aren't the only ones after us... don't forget about the outers. It will just make it more convenient for them if we're all together." Makoto's voice was stern, full of reason. "If we need to communicate, then we'll use these. Only the outers can tune in to them, so we'll only have one group after us instead of two."

"We can't stay in hiding forever. And oh gods," a sudden realization hit, "Usagi. What are we going to do with Usagi? The outers will find us for sure if we continue paying the bills, but we can't take her off life support either!"

There was a light pause, as Makoto looked grim, hearing the truth in the blonde's voice. "We'll figure something out, Minako. I promise. We always do."

"I hope so, Makoto. I really hope so." Minako all but whispered as she closed the link, and laid herself back on the bed. She could always tell Rei in the morning... it wasn't like Minako could go to school.

Sighing, she tried to clear her mind but failed. She had a feeling she would be having nightmares again.

"Laptop?" Heero asked again, this time his voice agitated and tense. "They have my laptop?"

Waving his hands in a placating manner, Duo quickly tried to worm his way out of it. "I never said it was your laptop Heero?"

"Was it?" He growled, not falling for the American's word games.

There was an awkward silence in which Heero glared and Duo tried not to wilt. "... maybe."

"Let me rephrase this, and give me a straight answer Maxwell. Do you think that the laptop you saw in the shrine belonged to me?" Heero asked, patience running short.

"Since when has my opinion been of any importance anyways?" Duo said, almost in a sulking manner. Well... he had certainly messed things up. Now Heero would be tracking Ami for sure, and he had planned on doing that himself.

"I'll take that as a yes." Studying the picture, Heero looked up at Duo again. "I will follow Aino, Minako. You will follow Ami, and Trowa will follow Makoto. You will not mess this up, do you understand?"

"Sure." Duo said, surprised that he would be able to check out Ami for himself after all. "But what about the other two?"

"I'll have Quatre check on the other blonde. I haven't seen her around at all. And Wufei will have to check on this girl... I don't think we've met her either." Heero said, analytical brain processing everything he already knew. This would make things much easier... but they still didn't have any proof. His bug had seemingly run out of batteries a while ago... but he didn't see how that could have happened. They were supposed to last for weeks.

"We start tomorrow?"

"Affirmative."

"Cool. I'll tell the other guys," Duo said, snatching the picture out of Heero's hands before he could react, and running out the door.

He'd be damned if he would let Heero steal his picture again.

Well... Duo's alive. Surprised? I bet you thought Heero would kill him. To be frank, I though that he would too.

Anyways... I think there's going to be another confrontation soon.

I love you guys!

Please leave a review! You'll make me happy (and possibly motivate me to pick up my pace) if you do!

Love,

Inverse-chan