Disclaimer: I do not own Get Backers or any of the characters associated with it, save those I have created myself. This fanfic is based on the anime series (as I have not read the manga, yet).

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Minomi Sakuwai looked down the hill at the mansion sprawled out before her. After searching with her binoculars for a few minutes she found what she had been seeking out. The girl was young, seventeen at the oldest. Her long black hair waved out behind her as she suddenly clutched a hands to her ears in a panic.

"Damn," Sakuwai muttered to herself. Someone was getting to the girl, and she still had not figured out how they were doing it. The protector brushed her graying hair out of her eyes as she dropped the binoculars down without taking her eyes off the mansion in the distance.

Professionally she was known as "La Gardienne," stemming from her many years in France where she originally went to school as a young girl. She had fallen in love with the French language and culture, and had been unable to stop herself from bringing that flavor of life into her career as a protector.

"Is everything all right, Master?" asked the young red-haired girl beside her. Her name was Hieko Aiyana, and she was Sakuwai's apprentice. Aiyana clutched the manilla folder in her arms, waiting anxiously for her trusted teacher to say something.

"She's hearing the voices again," Sakuwai said as she eyed the item her protege held. "Is that the information I requested?"

"Aye," The younger woman replied, handing it to Sakuwai. The protector opened the folder and began flipping through the files within.

"Dossiers on the Get Backers and everyone they have worked with within the last two years," Aiyana continued. "I even included Akabane Kurudo, though I wouldn't suggest using him. If you notice he tends to be a bit ..."

"Psychotic?" Sakuwai interrupted.

"Um. Yes," Aiyana smirked. "Although the others do appear to have good heads on their shoulders. There's one in there, Fuyuki Shido ..."

"That's alright." The protecter held her hand up to stop further explanation. She gazed at the file photo staring back up at her. It was a young man in his mid-twenties with a crop of thick brown air and small grandmother sunglasses. If the name on the dossier had not been a dead giveaway the picture would have. She knew this man and his reputation. 'Yes,' she thought to herself. 'He will do nicely.'

"I've made up my mind. I want the Get Backers. The rest are of no concern to me."

"Are you sure Master?" Aiyana asked as she took the file folder back. "The others..."

"The others do not have a one-hundred percent success rate, now do they?"

The young woman sighed and hung her head. "No, I suppose they don't."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Aiya," Sakuwai smiled. "I know you wish to protect this girl as much as I do. That is why we must step carefully. We do not wish to attract too much attention to ourselves after all." She paused for a brief moment to look down at the mansion in the distance.

" Besides," she continued. "It is very plausible that these Get Backers might decide to take on additional help themselves."

"Yes, Master," Aiyana nodded as her gaze fell back to the mansion as well. In the distance both could see the young girl being ushered into the house by a frantic looking driver. Aiyana's grip on the folder tighten as she sent a silent prayer to Buddha to keep the girl safe. She wasn't an overly religious person as it were, but for this, she was more then happy to make the exception.