Hola all! ^^ This one will be another Usagi/Hiiro fic. Ack! I really can't help it, but I want to do at least one with Usagi paired up with someone else!

Editors! Almost forgot you guys! *ducks the dictionaries thrown at her* Sorry! DevilsDarling, Autumn Hime, Usagi Asia Maxwell, Aidenn Legacy, and Usa-chan all helped to make this chapter more enjoyable for those of you out there who hate grammar and spelling mistakes.

Disclaimer: *whines* I don't own either or them, okay? *retreats to corner to sulk*

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Usagi sprinted through the airport, brushing away tears of frustration, clutching a handbag filled with more than just makeup to her side. Why was she so helpless? Being the self-proclaimed contemporary Robin Hood and the media-proclaimed future Houdini, she could do nothing to save a single person's life. Nothing. Her hands had hung limply at her sides as the color drained from his face and left her with only a pale recollection of sunny past smiles and eternally echoing laughter.

Her mind wandered back to when she had first glimpsed those violet eyes and started running. The constantly cheerful face did nothing to fool her – it was backed by a gun. That had always been the way she thought of him – smiling almost idiotically while a plan formed in his head. It was a way of saying "nice doggie" while searching for a stick.

But she had been all too enamoured with one Chiba Mamoru at that time to really take notice of the friendly face that she would find herself falling for.

It was so typical it was sickening. What's the novelty in falling in love with the policeman who wanted you behind bars? What's the novelty in getting caught only because adolescence's hormones drove all thoughts of reason out of one's mind? The only twist in this novel was that SHE had been the one to fire the shot that would end his life.

Usagi stood in front of a man, glaring at him with dangerous ocean blue eyes as two guards flanked her, both staring straight ahead at a blank wall.

"I'm going to kill you someday."

The man simply grinned his usual cheeky grin and replied, "I'd like to see you try."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Arrest me."

"I will. You are sentenced to eight years in prison for armed robbery and three months in solitary confinement for insolence to the inspector."

Her eyes flew open, and she barely noticed hands grabbing her on either side as she lunged forward. "I swear, Duo Maxwell! I'll kill you someday!"

What was she thinking? Even through her panic-veiled eyes and anger-filled heart, she had felt and seen something in this predator. For some reason, she had fallen in love with him. How was that possible? It was like a rabbit befriending a fox. One or the other would have to die ... but they didn't care at that time.

Perhaps the secrecy of it all was intoxicating? After all, they both yearned for adventure, and this was simply another adventure. But no. Duo had loved her. She could tell – it was like the instinct that told sparrows when to fly south.

Usagi hugged the wall as she peeked around the corner. No one was there. Breathing a sigh of relief, she allowed herself a brief respite from worry and wondered whether or not her escape would prove easier than she had predicted.

Maybe Duo was really good at stalling people? A small smile formed on her lips at the thought.

Suddenly a shadow quivered and came towards her. She stiffened and berated herself for letting her guard down for even that brief moment. Crying out, she whipped the compact semi-automatic out from her back pocket and shot randomly at the shadow. The shadow gave out a cry as well and slumped forward. Usagi felt a coldness trickle down her spine as the familiarity of the voice struck her like a cold slap on the face.

"Duo! No!" choked out in the deathly silent air. Too silent! her mind screamed at her as she turned the corner.

"Usagi?" His never-changing cobalt eyes blinked blearily up at her, so comforting yet so despairing. Glassy and darkened from pain, they narrowed into brilliant crescents as he smiled up at her and ignored the bitter tear that fell from her crystalline eyes and slid down his cheek.

"Oh my God, oh my God ... what have I done?" she whimpered softly, hand held up to muffle the wrenching sobs that fell from previously smiling lips.

"Usagi, forget about it. You gotta get out of here-" He was interrupted by the loud screech of the alarms as their surroundings were bathed in red. They both started.

"GO!"

"No, I can't-"

"Just GO!"

"Duo-"

"Usagi. Think logically. If I get out of here, I'll lose more blood and there would be no chance of survival for me. Maybe if you leave me here, I'll get aid sooner, and then, if you escape, we can meet again."

Panicking at the sound of distant footsteps, all she did was nod her head before fleeing, golden hair leaving a short trail behind her as Duo smiled and murmured his farewell to the world.

She was such a coward. She thought herself to be some hero that made a difference in the world, but was she really? After saving many lives and fortunes while risking her own, had she become complacent and therefore careless? But that didn't matter to her at the time. In fact, the world didn't seem to register in her mind on that fateful morning when she finally stopped deluding herself and realized she had loved and lost.

Usagi woke up to a new day. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Duo would contact her, while fretting over when Artemis was going to give her a call regarding the recent "job".

A month had passed slowly but blearily since the incident. The world was locked out of her penthouse, kept under an innocent pseudonym. Wrapping herself in a soft robe, she reassured herself that he should have recovered by now. Worries were batted aside as she reminded her reluctant mind that even if he had recovered, security would still be too tight for him to contact her.

She sleepily started the coffee machine before opening the door and smiling down at the neat stack of the Washington Post at her doorstep. Grabbing it, she closed the door and poured out the coffee with a small sigh of contentment at the overwhelming aroma. She flopped onto the vintage couch and carefully set the hot cup down on the more decorative than useful coffee table before flipping through the articles.

Headline was about her recent thievery. She smiled in slight satisfaction. The assignment had been to get a diamond approximately half the size of her fist back to its original owner from a person she had now become used to dealing with – Chiba Mamoru. Yes, the same Chiba Mamoru the hormonal teenager in her had managed to fall for. The same Chiba Mamoru who was now a criminal mastermind and a personal enemy. Nevertheless, it was simple routine.

Thinking back to when she had first entered the business, Usagi chuckled at how she had been so amazed by the numbers of gems that passed through her fingers each day. The shock had worn off fairly quickly – so many had passed by her that she doubted she even thought them of any value anymore.

Flipping to the second page, she gasped as she read the title of one of the articles. The hand reaching for her coffee fell short but brushed against the hot ceramic, and she hissed in pain, yanking the injured hand back.

Another Act of Tsukino?

On this very day, the past month, in the prison of San Francisco, three gunshots were heard by nearby officials. When authorities arrived at the scene, the policeman on guard was found shot and bleeding severely. Barely conscious, the young Duo Maxwell managed to recount the tale to his colleagues.

"I was on guard. Before I heard the gunshots and fell, I managed to catch a glimpse of the escapee. It was a man, I believe, with dark blonde hair, and he ran out down the south corridor."

The inspectors then researched for a man in the jail with the described features and failed to find any. The only person missing was the infamous Tsukino Usagi. Officials had reason to believe that Duo Maxwell and Tsukino Usagi were affiliates but did not take any action as Mr. Maxwell was an honored member of the San Francisco Police Force, having risked his life on numerous occasions while acting as a bodyguard for well-known political figures such as Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian and the L4 colony cluster representative and owner of extensive oil fields in Saudi Arabia, Quatre Raberba Winner. Even if they had decided to take action, it would not have been necessary, as Duo Maxwell died the next day of severe blood loss.

Now the question is, where is Tsukino Usagi? Authorities refuse to give out any information whatsoever at this point in time. [Continued on page B4]

Usagi numbly dropped the newspaper onto the floor over her carefully selected cream carpet and fell back onto the leather couch, feeling the energy drain from her body.

Duo was dead.

And it was all her fault.

Not knowing what to do and feeling so uncharacteristically helpless, Usagi had accepted the first assignment that Artemis had phoned her about. It wasn't a major one, a very simple one actually. She had to retrieve various articles of jewelry along with some paperwork from one Chiba Mamoru. This one would only earn her two million, but when had she worried about money? She was sure that somewhere in some unknown bank, Artemis had stashed her money for something as trivial as "college".

Artemis, her mentor, her boss, her guidance. He was the only person who had managed to keep her sane with his lame jokes and aristocratic air. She returned the favor easily by acting her usual sunny self. Maybe formerly usual sunny self.

Wiping her face of the accusing traces of tears one last time and adjusting her wig, she got onto the plane to Calais, France.

"Miss Tsukino?" A hand tapped her on her shoulder.

Forcing herself not to gasp, she leisurely turned toward the direction of the male voice.

"I'm sorry, but I believe you're mistaken."

"I'm sorry, but I believe you're bluffing."

Usagi looked up at the insolent policeman to meet eyes that looked so much like Duo's she was suddenly flooded by memories and a lump gathered at her throat. But these eyes weren't Duo's. The owner of them allowed them to show no hint of emotion, as he looked at her steadily, positive that she wouldn't be able to escape.

Licking her lips while inhaling, she responded calmly, "Your point."

Barely relaxing, the man stated in a trained monotone, "You are charged with armed robbery and first degree homicide of Officer Maxwell, Duo. Don't make a move and follow me when we reach Calais."

Giving up, Usagi gave a simple and laughably relaxed, "Sure."

Nodding curtly, the man sat down next to her and flashed a badge up at the protesting owner of said seat. He leaned back though she wasn't fooled for one moment into thinking he wasn't still eyeing her carefully, assessing for weaknesses.

"But I want to know the name of the formidable person who won this game." She winced inwardly – flattery never suited her.

"Yui," he grunted before turning his attention elsewhere.

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I'm most definitely continuing this one. ^^ Review please! And emails go to [email protected]. Thanks for reading! Yours, Angel. ^___^