"So how much do I know? I know that my seemingly 
mild mannered boss is pulling a Clark Kent on me by 
surprising my with the fact that she's the head of the fucking 
mafia, and I have managed to unwittingly turn against her 
mere hours after finding this information. I know that you are 
an assassin. I know that a man named Yuuchiro is dead. I 
know that Jadeite is an asshole, and somehow is trying to 
screw around behind Usagi's back. I know that I've 
managed to kill five people, but none of them were you, and 
you are the only person I was supposed to be killing in the 
first place. I know I've managed to put bullet holes in my car, 
break some ribs, and narrowly avoid being raped by a man 
twice my size. But, more than anything, I know that this all 
started when you kidnapped me on Christmas Eve, and I 
know that I've not had a flying fuck of a clue about what is 
going on ever since."
	Her tirade came out in one long, angry stretch, and 
when she was done, Minako felt oddly relieved. Kunzite, 
after a moment of tense silence, laughed.
	"I don't find any of it funny," Minako said dryly, 
looking over at her driver.
	"You've had one hell of a Christmas, haven't you?" 
he asked, still chuckling softly.
	"Yeah, you're telling me," she huffed, crossing her 
arms across her chest.
	As she expected, she was returned with Kunzite's 
trademark silence. She stared out the side window, 
watching the neon lights drift by at about 20 miles an hour in 
the surprisingly crowded early morning traffic. Hookers 
stared longingly, drunks pointed, and still others paid them 
no mind as Kunzite and Minako made their way toward the 
source of a large part of the noise, light, and people.
	The words "Crystal Palace" flashed in sparkling 
lights along the scrolling marquee at the entrance of the 
sprawling building. It took up half of a city block, and 
towered about ten stories above the crowds. Minako had 
heard of this place a few times, mainly on television 
commercials. Kunzite pulled the Porsche up under the 
covered entrance and waited for the valet. He turned to 
Minako.
	"Listen. If you can handle sitting through maybe one 
more hour of not knowing what's going on, I promise you I'll 
explain everything when we get somewhere to stay. Is that 
okay?" he asked, his voice sounding surprisingly 
reassuring.
	Minako faced him and sighed. "Alright," she agreed.
	-If nothing else, I'll at least get a place to sleep,- she 
admitted in her head.
	"Good," Kunzite replied, and kissed her on the 
cheek. Before she could say anything, he got out of the car 
and greeted the valet. To her own dismay, she smiled.
	Forcing her lips back down into a straight line, she 
stepped out of the car in time to see the valet, a young boy 
with shaggy brown hair, take the key nervously from 
Kunzite's extended fingers. Kunzite reached behind the 
driver's seat and grabbed the duffel bag. He swung it over 
his shoulder and patted the boy on the back.
	"Don't scratch it up, alright?" he said to the valet, 
who was already climbing eagerly into the driver's seat.
	"Yes, sir, right," he agreed, and shut the door.
	"Did you get your purse?" Kunzite asked Minako 
over the top of the car.
	Before she could answer, though, the car lurched out 
from between them and sped off a bit faster than 
necessary. Minako couldn't help but smile.
	"Fortunately, yes," she laughed, and indicated to the 
bag on her shoulder. "And didn't we pass the parking 
garage going the other way?"
	"Yeah, I think so," he replied, and ran his free hand 
through his hair. 
	"Well, you can't blame the kid. Just as long as he 
doesn't screw it up."
	"Who knows, maybe he'll fill the tank, too," he said, 
his face caught in a surprisingly honest smile.
	"Anyway, let's go," Kunzite said. He placed a hand 
around her waist and led her in the direction of the building. 
"This will all start making sense soon enough."
	-And yet, somehow,- Minako thought as they walked 
through the glass doors at the entrance of the casino, -I just 
don't think that's true.-