Disclaimer: Not mine, save for the obvious characters that don't quite belong.

Author's Note: And for the edited version of chapter two! Wonderful, wonderful indeed. I'm proud of my progress.

The Mansion

The address led them to a dilapidated mansion, one that looked ready to fall down at any moment. Artemus had allowed Silverstone and Hawk time to change into their normal clothing, something for which Silverstone found himself thankful. He didn't want to be wearing a tux into a place so run-down.

"This is it?" Silverstone asked out loud. "We came all the way here just to see some half-destroyed mansion?"

"Appearances can be deceiving, my young friend," Artemus said. "I would expect you to understand that."

"Do you really think she lives here, Artemus?" Hawk asked.

"No," the elder replied. "But I believe her employer is at least using this as a base of operations for a short while."

"What makes you so sure she was hired?" Silverstone asked. "Maybe she stole the diamond for herself."

"It's possible," Artemus agreed. "Unlikely, but possible. She always viewed stealing as petty, no matter what was being stolen. Shall we?" He gestured at the door, and Silverstone cocked a leg back, prepared to kick the door in. "Ah," Artemus said, holding up a hand to interrupt him before trying the handle. "Unlocked."

Silverstone shrugged. "Well, if you want to do it the boring way," he said, trying to cover his embarrassment. They entered the house and began looking around. After a few moments, it was apparent that there was nobody on the first floor. "Up the stairs?" Silverstone asked.

"Up the stairs," Artemus said. Sure enough, there was light coming from one of the rooms. "Careful," Artemus mouthed, and Silverstone grinned. They moved slowly toward the room, with Hawk bringing up the rear, and pushed the door completely open.

"Rafael?" Silverstone asked in disbelief.

The villain gasped and dropped the diamond he was holding. "How did- what-" he sputtered, then took a deep breath and forced himself to regain his composure. "What an unpleasant and unexpected surprise, to have Silverboy and Artemus right here in my secret lair. Thought you'd put me away for good, didn't you?" He stood and glanced toward the nearby window.

"We're only here for information," Artemus said calmly.

"Yeah," Silverstone agreed. "You give us information, we'll wait fifteen minutes before we call the police."

"Oh, how generous of you," Rafael sneered, but he looked suspicious. "Why aren't you just going to arrest me and have it done?"

"We need this information," Artemus said calmly. "And we can get this the hard way or the easy way. It's your choice."

"What do you want to know?" Rafael edged closer toward the window.

"The woman you employed to steal the diamond for you. Who was she?"

"Ah," Rafael said. "Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Business secret, you know."

"What'd she do, threaten to kill you if you told anybody?" Silverstone asked.

"Much worse," the villain replied. "I'd rather not lose her confidence, if you understand."

"Do you want us to call the police?" Silverstone asked, then stepped up and grabbed Rafael's shirt collar. "Tell us what we want to know."

"Silverstone," Artemus said sharply, and the boy relaxed a little. "It doesn't matter. We know everything we need to know. Sabyne DeWynter is a hard woman to employ, Rafael."

"What?" Rafael blurted. "How the devil did you know that?"

Artemus shrugged. "She gave her name and your address at the auction. You give a mercenary your address and invite her to your home, and you don't think there's any danger in that? Surely I taught you better."

"Taught me well enough," Rafael said, then snapped his fingers. "Always have backup, right?"

Sabyne appeared from behind a tall chair, looking mildly annoyed. "Oh goody. A party."

"Did you really give them my address?" Rafael demanded.

"You could not expect me to give them my own, now, could I?" she asked rhetorically. "You did not pay me to not give out your location, you know." There was a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Can you not handle a couple of children yourself?"

"Walk away now and we'll let you go," Silverstone said. "We're just here for the diamond."

Sabyne frowned. "It sounds like a charming idea, but unfortunately, that may conflict with my job. You see, I am here to protect Rafael, make sure he doesn't get harmed or sent to jail. And I may warn you that I have never failed to perform a task to my best ability. I do not accept loss."

"Three against two," Silverstone said. "I like these odds."

"Three against one," she corrected. "If my employer knows what is best, he will leave immediately." She glared at Rafael from the corner of her eye, and he immediately went for the window. Silverstone made a move to stop him, but Sabyne grabbed him by the jacket. "I do not think that a wise choice, boy."

"And I don't think grabbing me like that was such a wise choice," Silverstone retorted as Rafael disappeared out the window.

"Pity," Sabyne said. "Your prey got away, but he left his diamond behind."

Silverstone looked uncertain. "You're not leaving with it."

Sabyne raised an eyebrow. "Diamonds are more difficult to deal with than cash, boy. As you can see here." She released her hold on his jacket. "Now if you will excuse me, I have places to be."

"You're not leaving," Hawk said with a laugh. "You stopped us from doing our job."

"You have your diamond," Sabyne pointed out. "Ah, yes, I forgot. Mission Omega Matrix is more about turning in the bad guy than results." She glanced in Artemus' direction. "You cannot always turn in the bad guy," she hissed. "Sometimes, you have to take what you can get."

Silverstone opened his mouth to argue, but Artemus interrupted. "Let her go, Silverstone. Tonight isn't the night." Silverstone, completely flabbergasted, could only watch as Artemus stepped away from the door and allowed the woman in the green cloak to leave unharmed.

The three stood in silence for a moment, then Silverstone looked over at Artemus. "It wouldn't have been much of a fight, three against one."

Artemus smiled. "She would have gotten away no matter what you did. Somehow, she would have gotten away. Come, we must return to headquarters and decide how to resolve this conflict."

Hawk looked at Silverstone in confusion. "What conflict?" Silverstone whispered to her.

"Beats me," Hawk said. "He's been acting strange all night. Ever since he saw the guest list."

"With Sabyne DeWynter on it," Silverstone noted.

"Drop the topic," Artemus said sharply, leading the way out of the mansion. "It isn't important at the moment."

"And you'll tell us when it becomes important?" Silverstone asked, but his mentor didn't reply. "I mean, she's only stopped us doing our job twice now."

"And every time her name is mentioned, you act all funny," Hawk said.

He stopped and turned to look at them. "I do, don't I?" he said. "Ask me again tomorrow, my friends. For now, I'm in need of rest."

"Are you okay?" Hawk asked worriedly.

Artemus smiled. "I'll be fine, Hawkins. I simply need to rest."

"Uh-oh," Silverstone said. "He smiled. That's never a good sign."