"Brandy?" the Commander offered, like nothing of import was happening.

"What is going on?" Zechs asked.

"I'm offering you a drink, after a job well done. Your part is finished for now, Zechs," said Treize patiently. "Although we will certainly have use for you later."

Dekim Barton was eyeing Zechs like meat at the market. "So this is the Peacecraft boy you've been hiding under our noses all this time, Treize," he said. "In plain sight! You sly dog."

Zechs didn't so much sit down in the chair as his knees gave out on him.

"In the flesh," said Treize, smiling with no humour in it. He took a sip of his own brandy. "I think his sister is the bigger prize, though. The world likes queens, these days. Cleaner background, too."

"That's true enough," said Dekim. "Can get away with more. People always think they're less bloodthirsty than the men." He snorted. "They should meet my granddaughter."

Dorothy Catalonia's security was nothing to write home about. Quatre tracked her down before the afternoon was out and then cornered her in a boutique after leaving her guard lying in the alleyway out back.

"Can I help you?" she asked, looking him over distastefully.

"I think so," said Quatre, smiling pleasantly. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure before." He extended a hand. "I'm Quatre Raberba Winner."

She looked from his hand to his face. "Winner?" she repeated, and then her face lit with recognition. "Winner Enterprises." She took his hand and shook it once, businesslike. "And why are you here, looking for me?"

Keeping his expression pleasant, he said, "My family is hoping we can resolve this… dispute with Romefeller in a peaceful and civilized manner. I'm hoping that you're in a position to help smooth the way."

"And what do I get out of this?" she asked.

He shrugged delicately. "That's what I'm here to discuss today."

She was obviously thinking very quickly. "Fine," she said, breezily. "Have you got a car? If we can ditch my guard, I suppose I can give you thirty minutes of my time." She tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

Quatre smiled. "How kind."

"How long have you known?" Zechs asked, reeling.

"Oh, that's not the question you want to ask me right now, Milliard," said Treize, leaning back in his chair casually. "The question you want to ask is, what am I going to do about it?"

"All right," he said hollowly, "what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm so glad you asked. Now, as Dekim and I were just discussing before you came in, we're very concerned about the threats to Relena's safety of late. Just an endless litany, really. First, there were assassination attempts before she even left the States—"

"That terrible bombing at that conference," put in Dekim, "the one that killed Darlian. Awful business, just awful."

Treize pointed at him with the hand holding his brandy glass. "Exactly. And then she came to Europe and it's simply continued. We've had reports of further assassination attempts—all foiled, thankfully, people spying on her, and even a car bomb going off on the property. Thankfully, Relena herself wasn't hurt, but she easily could have been."

"Dreadful," said Dekim, shaking his head.

"And now we have reliable intelligence that White Fang has infiltrated her personal security. She seems to be in terrible danger."

Zechs was beginning to see, and clearly far too late, that Lucy had been correct. He should have known better. She usually was, after all.

After he failed to take the bait, Treize arched one forked eyebrow and continued, "So, we're stepping in. This is what OZ is for, after all. The princess needs protection."

"What kind of protection?" Zechs asked, hearing his voice come out flat and beaten.

"Heero, there's a helicopter approaching the residence," said Trowa over comms.

"A what?"

"I think they're planning to land it on the front lawn. Yep, it's coming in for a landing."

"Get to cover. And keep trying Quatre."

"Already doing both."

Heero's own phone immediately started ringing instead, and when he picked it up, Quatre's voice was in his ear. "Has OZ shown up yet?" he asked. He sounded very calm. It was kind of infuriating, in the circumstances.

"They just got here. Where the fuck are you?"

"I'm ten minutes away. Listen, if it helps…"

"What would help is you being here, Quatre."

"…You can tell them we have a hostage."

Heero froze. "What did you do."

"It's Dorothy Catalonia. I've got her in a secure location right now."

"Why the fuck did you abduct that girl?"

Duo, who was several feet away checking weapons, wheeled around in alarm. Heero shook his head and waved him off.

"She didn't have much in the way of useful intelligence," said Quatre, "although she did confirm a couple things for me. But the name is still pretty valuable. Her father and her grandfather are both in the top echelons of OZ. And I'm pretty sure Treize Kushrenada is her cousin or something, too."

"We'll discuss this later," said Heero. "Get your ass back here, and come in dark. They probably have the place surrounded already, and Wufei is still MIA."

"See you soon."

Heero hung up the phone and almost threw it at the wall before jamming it back in his pocket. Duo watched the whole display.

"So it sounds," Duo started hesitantly, "like Quatre must have gone off and kidnapped… I'm guessing that girl from Relena's school?"

"Yep," said Heero, coming to help him sort out their gear.

"Okay. Well. Maybe we can use that."

"I guess we'll have to try."

"Should we tell Tr—"

"You go right ahead."

"Yeah, I'll pass."

"Not to worry, Milliard," said Treize. "We've simply sent a few units to the house in Vaduz to secure it for you. Relena's safety is paramount, I assure you. And, once we've secured her, I'm going to put you in a position to ensure her wellbeing. Her guardian angel. That's all you ever really wanted, right?"

"This is not," said Zechs, "what I wanted."

Dekim leaned in and smiled. "I think you'd better consider the merits, son."

"What merits?"

"Well, for starters," said Treize, "you're a lot more emotionally invested in her wellbeing than Lady Une."

The horror dropped the bottom out of his stomach. "You wouldn't."

Treize laughed. "Of course I would."

The house phone rang.

"I'll get it," said Duo, skidding across the parquet flooring to grab the receiver. "Joe's Roadkill Cafe," he answered it cheerfully. "You kill 'em, we grill 'em!"

Heero shook his head and finished strapping his vest on.

"Mhm," said Duo. "Mhm. Oh really?" Then he leaned away from the receiver, covering it with his hand, and said, "It's for you."

Heero sighed and took the phone, signaling him silently to get moving with the next step and then removing his earpiece as he brought the phone receiver to his other ear. "Yes?" he prompted.

"To whom am I speaking?" said a female voice.

"The head of security for the owner of this house," said Heero. "Can I ask why you parked a helicopter on my front lawn, or should we just start shooting the rotors off?"

"Mr. Yuy," she said, and Heero immediately readjusted his impression of OZ's general competence, "I have a singular task: securing Relena Friedenskraft to ensure her safety. Do you understand me?"

"Well, you'd think since I have the same task, we should be getting along better than this." Across the room, Duo turned away and put his hand to his ear, talking softly. Heero focused on the woman's voice.

"If you'd like to be civilized about this, Mr. Yuy, I would be happy to oblige."

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage," he said, leaning against the wall, "so let's start there on civility. To whom am I speaking?"

"You may call me Une."

Duo's hand appeared in front of him with a piece of paper pinched between two fingers. Heero took it and scanned it quickly. Apparently there were twelve visible armed units arranged outside in the yard, and Quatre had set up a sniper's perch above a gable on the east wing. Heero didn't know how he'd gotten up there so fast, and he wasn't going to ask.

"Alright, then, Une. Please tell me how you intended to be civilized with a dozen men in combat gear being dropped straight into the yard. I'm a little confused."

"I am not known for negotiating, Mr. Yuy. I simply get results. Bring out the princess, and we can wrap this up without incident."

Heero hesitated. "You work for OZ, correct?"

"Correct."

"And Dekim Barton and General Catalonia are both among your bosses?"

"Dekim Barton is a businessperson, Mr. Yuy. Whatever would he have to do with our organization?"

He closed his eyes for a second, and then went for it. "My mistake. Still, maybe he'd like to know that Dorothy Catalonia is safe."

It took her a second to answer. "Safe?"

"We're keeping her safe. For as long as we can, anyway."

"I see. Well, Mr. Yuy, I suppose I shall have to call you back."

She hung up before he could say anything else. Heero put his earpiece back in. "I think I just bought us some time."

Treize's assistant knocked and poked her head in. Since Milliard Peacecraft was still considering the merits of his offer, Treize waved her in.

"Sir," she said, handing him a note.

He read over it twice, carefully maintaining his poker face, and then passed the note to Dekim. "Update from Lady Une," he said.

Dekim spared their little prince one more look before reading the note himself. Then he scoffed. "I thought you said you didn't know who'd done it."

Treize shrugged. "I don't know. But I have two very strong suspects."

Dekim crumpled the note in his fist. "Tell her to go ahead."

"All right," said Treize, calling his assistant back in to pass on the word.

"What's going on?" asked Milliard.

"Your time is running out," said Treize. "Made a decision yet?"

The house phone rang again, and Heero considered letting Duo answer it again to annoy her some more before picking up the receiver himself.

"Mr. Yuy?" said Une, sounding supremely unbothered by the fact she was in a standoff.

"Go ahead."

"I have a response from OZ regarding your… message."

Trowa had opted to be the visible show of force, and was standing on the front steps with an automatic rifle staring down the OZ unit. Their apparent commander was still inside the helicopter, talking on a phone, and he only saw glimpses of her but she had the look of an officer, from the uniform. She also had her hair pinned up in a distinctly non-regulation-looking way, and glasses. He wondered what she was like in front line combat, and whether he'd have the chance to find out.

His earpiece came to life again with Heero's voice.

"The hostage gambit did not go as planned. Their response is that we should keep Dorothy Catalonia and give them 'the ones responsible for the Romefeller bombing' instead. Trowa, I think you may have been made. Or they've spotted Quatre and made him."

Trowa kept his face impassive and said nothing.

Quatre had other ideas. "Will they guarantee Relena's safety if I hand myself over to them?"

Trowa bit his tongue to keep anything from showing on his face. Then he gave in and raised a hand up to obscure his mouth as he said, "Don't you fucking dare."

Quatre once again didn't listen. "Listen, the stakes here are—"

"Trowa is right," said Duo, unexpectedly jumping in. "They haven't said shit about leaving if they get you, anyway. She's trying to play us. There's no way you're as valuable to them as Relena is. Hell, I didn't even think the granddaughter or whoever she is was gonna be enough. These people are serious."

"Trowa, I'm going to tell her no, and I think you'd better bug out when I do. You're a sitting duck there. We're ready for the next stage, anyway."

Trowa covered his mouth again. "Understood. I'm coming in the front door." It was two steps behind him, anyway.

"I—fine. We'll be ready for you."

Zechs' back was against the wall. He didn't doubt Treize's word about putting him in a position to liaise with Relena and do what he could to ensure her safety that way, but there had to be something underneath it. He'd already known Treize was clever, a tactical genius. He'd just never acknowledged the possibility that it would be used against him.

"Well, Milliard?" said Treize. It was infuriating, his insistence on using that name. Zechs hadn't heard that name since he was a child. He associated that name with his parents being alive, with Pargan. With safety and security. All ripped away, and now his face was being rubbed in that fact.

Zechs took a deep breath, and decided to face the firing squad with eyes open. "I will never—"

There was another knock on the door. Treize sighed. "Hold that thought. That's probably another update from Une. Enter," he called out.

The person who entered looked familiar, but wasn't one of Treize's assistants. He also had a gun.

"Treize Kushrenada," the young man said. "I've been looking for you."

Zechs saw Treize's hand going for the panic button under his desk, and did the only thing he could think of: he leaped out of his chair and overturned the desk, sending Treize staggering back toward the tall windows with a wince. The desk had clipped him in the arm, then. Too bad it hadn't broken any fingers, because he was reaching for his sidearm, now.

Zechs made a quick assessment, and left Treize to the kid with the gun. Dekim was rising out of his own chair, and Zechs tackled him to the floor instead.

Trowa slipped in the door and shut it behind him right before a bullet impact thumped into it. The door was so heavy that it didn't pierce the wood all the way, but it wouldn't hold up to any kind of siege.

They pushed the furniture back in front of the door anyway, with Trowa and Heero handling most of that heavy lifting as Duo finished packing up their gear and talking rapidly to Hilde on his radio. They only needed to slow OZ down.

Quatre came in through a second floor window and slid down the banister to meet them at the bottom of the stairs. "What's the plan?" he asked, breathless.

"If you'd fucking been here instead of off kidnapping useless hostages, you'd already know," Heero bitched, and waved them all down the south hallway.

The gunshot was loud in the enclosed room. If Wufei hadn't already disabled or killed everyone in his path to this office, he'd have been prepared for this to be a suicide mission. Frankly, he still was, but seeing Zechs Merquise flip the big desk and then tackle the head of Romefeller Industries to the carpet had him thinking he might just get out of this one after all.

Treize fell against the window as red started to stain the chest of his uniform, but not hard enough to break the glass, which Wufei already knew was bulletproof anyway.

"Not even wearing a vest," Wufei realized, shaking his head. "Kind of poetic, how much your arrogance has undone you, Treize."

"You—" Treize started.

Wufei shot him again, and he was silent.

It was strangely less satisfying than he'd thought it would be.

"Are you done with Barton?" he asked without looking, lowering his gun slowly. "You should kill him."

"I'm not armed," said Zechs.

Wufei rolled his eyes and handed him the gun, grip-first. "If you want to live through this, we need to go."

"Why are you helping me?" Zechs asked, although he got to his feet and took the gun.

"I'm not helping you," said Wufei incredulously. "What have you done for me lately? You're helping me." The plan snapped into his head, crystal clear. Maxwell had to be feeling smug right now without knowing why, but whatever got Wufei out of here alive so that Hilde could yell at him for doing any of this. "You're going to arrest me for killing these two assholes and march me out of here."

Zechs was quicker on the uptake than Wufei would have given him any credit for. "Understood," he said, and dispatched Barton, making himself fully complicit and ensuring his cooperation with the extraction plan. "I'll be keeping this, then," he added, stowing Wufei's gun in his empty shoulder holster.

Wufei took a second to compose himself, because unfortunately Zechs had the right idea. "Fine. Now let's go."

They had to use the ram to clear the front door. Une was seething at the time wasted. Who even knew what those brats could manage to do with all these lost minutes?

She should have had them take down Barton, she'd thought when he'd suddenly broken from his sentry position and slipped back inside the house. She'd been pinned inside the helicopter herself, though, because of the sniper on the roof. She suspected that one had to be Winner, as none of the rest of them were known for sharpshooting aside from Yuy. And Yuy was busy.

She'd been cursing the loss of Barton and still worried that nobody had seen any trace of Chang yet, when one of her scouts had radioed to say that the roof sniper had abandoned his position.

Too late.

She knew it for certain when she walked into the foyer of the mansion, stepping over the mess of likely priceless antique furniture they'd used as a barricade. The place was dead quiet. Empty.

There was a post-it note stuck to the telephone in the foyer, and she felt a headache threatening as she picked it up.

'Wipe your feet!'

Une let it flutter to the floor. "Search the place," she ordered. "Top to bottom. I want to know how they got out."

It took fifteen minutes, but they found a broken window at the end of the south corridor, and trampled grass leading away from it into the small band of forest that surrounded the back of the property. She set all but two of her men on the trail. "They may be hiding in the trees," she warned. "Be vigilant."

Then she took her remaining two men and set off back for the helicopter to call in her failure to Commander Treize. She would weather his disappointment.

"Are we there yet?" Relena sighed. Her back and thighs were starting to hurt from moving in a half-crouch for so long.

"Just about," said Noin from ahead of her.

"We'll be out of here soon," Hilde assured, watching the tunnel behind them.

The lights they were using had red film over them, which Noin had explained was meant to keep them from going night-blind while also being less obvious than a bright white light to anyone who might be following. Relena understood and appreciated that kind of attention to detail, but it made the tunnel look like something from a horror movie. The fact that the walls, ceiling and floor were all just dirt with some old wood struts for reinforcement didn't help any.

"I never expected," said Pargan, shuffling along beside her, "that these tunnels would see any kind of use again, but I am glad they were never filled in."

He'd said they were dug during World War II, as he'd led them down into the cellar and lifted up an old rug near the racks of wine to reveal a trapdoor underneath.

"Never let me underestimate you, Pargan," Duo had said. "You're a wily old bugger."

"Thank you, Master Duo," Pargan had said with a little bow. "If you wouldn't mind, please replace the rug after we've gone."

"They'll never know you were even here," Duo had promised, and then gave Hilde and Relena each a hug goodbye. "See you on the other side," he'd said, booping Hilde on the nose and making her slap him in the shoulder.

And there hadn't been any time to waste, so Noin had ushered them all into the tunnel after that.

"I telephoned my brother's family to let them know to expect us, Miss," said Pargan quietly as they kept creeping along in the eerie red light. "I believe you shall be quite comfortable there."

"That doesn't matter, Pargan," she murmured back. "As long as we're all safe." She wished she could have brought all the boys along with them. She was pretty sure they were playing the bait to make sure the tunnel wasn't found, and she would have strongly objected if any of them had given her the chance to. Which was probably why they hadn't.

He probably saw her thoughts on her face, because he said, "Not to worry, Miss. They are all quite capable young men. I am sure we will see them again before long, hale and healthy."

She hoped he was right, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

"Oh, thank god," Noin breathed. "I think I see the ladder up ahead."

"Great," said Hilde. "My back is in knots."

And Noin was right. A few minutes later, they climbed up a rickety wooden ladder that looked a lot like the one they'd climbed down earlier, and Noin shoved open a trapdoor to lead them all out into a barn. A woman who looked to be about Noin's age was waiting for them, and she ran over to give Pargan a hug. "You made it!"

"Yes, my dear," he said, hugging her back. "Miss, allow me to introduce my grand-niece, Marta."

"It's an honour, Your Highness," said Marta, ducking her head.

"Oh no," said Relena almost before she knew what was coming out of her mouth. "No, no. It's Relena, please. Pargan, go sit down immediately."

Hilde looked up from closing and covering the trapdoor again. "She's always like this," she said to Marta.

Relena wheeled on her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Hilde grinned and put a hand on her shoulder that was more reassuring than it had any right to be. "Don't worry about it, Your Highness."

"Ugh," said Relena, following them out of the barn and up to the house.

Still, she realized as she took a breath of fresh air, it was going to be alright now. All of this was over. And she could make sure it didn't happen again.