Phantom

Chapter One

Notes: Well, now that I've finally got off my butt to come and write this (largely attributed to seeing the new Phantom movie for the second time, on Friday), I give you chapter one. And Duo.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing, nor do I own The Phantom of the Opera. No money is being made from this fic. Please do not use this fanfiction without permission.

All I want
is freedom,
a world with
no more night . . .
and you
always beside me
to hold me
and to hide me . . .
"Shit," Duo Maxwell intoned, glaring at the TV as the anchorman reported the new faction that had somehow wormed its way to the top of the UESA. "As if we haven't dealt with enough war." Duo was startled out of his grumbling as the phone rang. He dove for it, falling backwards over the coffee table as he answered it.

"Hello?" he moaned, wincing as he touched the back of his head and found a tennis-ball-sized lump where he had hit his head on the corner of the coffee table.

"Duo?" Duo snapped to attention, forgetting his momentary klutz attack.

"Quatre?"

"Good, I was beginning to wonder whether we would ever be able to track you down… You've heard the news, I guess? About the new faction?"

"Watching it on the TV as we speak. Have you been in contact with Hiiro?" Duo asked, anticipating a negative answer. No one could find Hiiro Yui if Hiiro Yui did not want to be found.

"No," Quatre replied, sounding weary. "We've tried everyone who might know where he is. Even the Preventers are stumped."

"Damn," Duo muttered. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Cross our fingers and hope for the best? We can't do anything, Duo. The Gundams are gone, if you've failed to recall."

"I know, I know, I'm not an amnesiac," Duo shot back. "But, I still… we have to do something." Quatre sighed.

"All right, we'll have a meeting. You, me, Trowa, and Wufei. We'll discuss this further then."

"Right."

Usagi jumped about a mile in the air as Minako put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right, Usagi-chan?" Minako asked with a chuckle. "You've been really jumpy lately. Seen a ghost?" Usagi mulled over this for a moment, twisting her mouth to the side as she inspected her best friend.

"Promise you won't laugh?" Usagi asked hesitantly. Minako frowned, brow creasing as she realized that, indeed, something serious was bothering the little blonde bunny.

"Of course I won't. Usagi, is something wrong?"

"I think I have a stalker," Usagi said despairingly, eyes shifting as if making sure said stalker was not in the vicinity. Untrue to her word, Minako stifled a chuckle.

"Are you sure you aren't just being paranoid, Usagi-chan?" Minako asked, with the air of someone talking to a three-year-old. Seeing that Minako wasn't going to believe her suspicions, Usagi forced a smile.

"That's probably it, then," Usagi said. "After that incident with Chaos, I've been a bit nervous around people I don't know. I swear that every one of them is another Galaxia waiting to happen. I just… don't want anyone to be hurt, and with Mamo-chan away at Harvard, and all…"

"Mou, Usagi-chan, no need to worry! Sailor V is here to protect you !" Minako said, striking a pose and flashing the peace sign. Usagi giggled at Minako's antics.

"That's not much of a comfort," Usagi jibed. Minako pouted, and then looked around.

"Hey, we've walked this far already?" They were almost at school, Usagi noted.

"We may actually be early for once…" Usagi chirped as the girls rounded the corner.

They were met with a most startling image: an officious man in what appeared to be an army uniform was standing at the entrance to the school; within the school gates, Usagi could see bewildered-looking students being marched around by more uniformed men.

"Um, excuse me?" Minako asked the man guarding the gates. "What's going on?"

The man gave Minako a once-over, sneering. "Isn't it obvious, little girl? The Utopia Faction has occupied this school." The girls exchanged wide-eyed glances. "Oh, don't look so despondent. You'll be receiving a much better education than you would have otherwise," the man said in a smug tone. He then ushered the girls into the gates, where they were lead by two more officers to stand in the carefully-ordered ranks of confused and upset teenagers.

Had this been any normal occurrence, the students would have taken a "f-ck-the-administration" attitude. As it was, they were too stunned to do anything other than what they were told.

That, and the officers had machine guns, and looked like they wouldn't balk at using them.

Hiiro Yui rarely showed emotion. This was a fact that was witnessed and known by the entire Preventer Organization, the UESA council, and most thoroughly by his fellow Gundam pilots. Had they known where Hiiro Yui was at that precise moment — had they even known his thoughts and feelings — they would have been stunned at the amount of rage that was filling his mind.

Kuso… kuso… kuso… KUSO! The mantra in his head was so violently wrathful that mere English curses would not do, and he had thus resorted to his native Japanese.

He inspected the vid-screens around him with utter fury. They depicted various scenes around the school (piggy-backed from the security cameras used by the school's administration), and Hiiro most certainly was not enjoying the show.

Usagi trembled as she and the rest of the students in her group were marched single file into a classroom (senior class C's, if she was not mistaken) and glared at until they sat meekly in the desks.

"Students." The teenagers' attention was drawn to the front of the room as a stern-looking man in his late fifties addressed them. He was dressed sharply in a crisper version of the invaders' uniform, and had an angular face and gray hair. "As you are all aware, this school is now controlled by the Utopian Faction. We are officials of the United Earth Sphere Alliance. Failure to comply in our policies will result in physical punishment. You will, in return, receive a better education than this school could previously supply for you.

"I, Yoshio Watanabe, will be your teacher; you will call me 'sir' or 'sensei' at all times. Is that clear?" There followed a stunned silence. Watanabe's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I said, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," the class mumbled in disjointed unison. Usagi quailed slightly, and then mentally reprimanded herself. She was a Sailor Senshi! Moreover, she was Sailor Moon! And Sailor Moon did not allow middle-aged men in uniforms scare her.

No matter how many machine guns they had.

Hiiro spotted a flash of startlingly blonde hair from the vid-screen that displayed the senior class C's homeroom. He turned his attention to this screen, confirming that it was indeed his protégée — there were, after all, only two blondes in the entire school: Usagi and her best friend, Minako Aino.

He inspected Usagi's reaction the occupation. As he had anticipated, she was terrified, barely able to keep herself from crying. Hiiro resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He turned up the volume on that particular vid-screen and listened to Watanabe's speech, watching Usagi's expression as it progressed.

Just when he thought she would burst into tears, Usagi took a deep breath and steeled herself, removing the fear from her form.

Hiiro thought that maybe she wasn't such a hopeless case after all.

Thanks to:

AdorableAngel; blackrosebunny451; MoonBunny615; Queen Diamond; Usagi Asia Maxwell; Azraelya (Me, I actually thought Hiiro was acting a bit too emotional… but it's a few years after the war, so I guess people can change over a few years, ne?); Angelight (I think I like this one better than CFE, too. I'm a more angsty person. Besides, I'm at a loss for what to write next in CFE, in spite of planning way far ahead. Eh. ::sweatdrop::); Dark Universe; Mitsuko08; Liquid Ice (Ack, I feel the pressure already! T.T)

Next Chapter: mass takeover, infiltrating teachers, and a lesson from the Phantom…

Until then!

Riru-chan