Disclaimer: I own only the plot.

(sighs) I knew that naturally-generated plotbunnies have the annoying tendencies to appear non-chronologically and go off on other tangents. Apprently, reviewer-provoked ones do the same.

I swear I'm leaving this one a oneshot, dangit.

(Edit 11/05: as per my new policy, anonymous reviews get answered in my profile.)

"The thing is, we keep coming back to the same problem. The only ones with access to the information we need are the members of the Organization themselves."

"They have to be current members, too. They do their best to eliminate witnesses and defectors, and any information those might have rapidly becomes obsolete anyway."

"Problem is, they only talk about Org business to other Org members. They're hardly going to tell us if we just walk up and ask politely."

"…"

"Oh, no. I know that look."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, Hakuba's hawk still hasn't recovered from what happened the last time I saw that look on your face."

"No, about walking up and asking. How do you know that wouldn't work?"

"…have you lost your mind?"

"I'm serious. We've already established that the only ones with access to the information we need are members of the Org. The current members won't talk to us, and there are no former members. The logical conclusion is that we need to get a new member of our own inside."

"You mean get someone to deliberately join?"

"Exactly."

"Don't be ridiculous. Who would actually want to join that nest of vipers? Or rather, how could we trust someone that would?"

" 'Want' doesn't enter into it. It just needs to be done."

"And I'm telling you it's not feasible. I mean, first of all, how are you supposed to find them to join? They don't exactly hold conventions or post classified ads, you know. Plus they'd get really suspicious if someone they didn't approach first actively went looking for them, since they're supposed to be, you know, secret. Not to mention having to fool them into not suspecting you're a spy. Who could actually pull something like that off?"

"…"

"…Why are you looking at me like that?"

"…"

"Oh, no. Oh, no. Absolutely not."

"Why not? You're a master of disguise, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but–"

"But what?"

"But I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Look, I am not going to join the bastards that killed my father!"

"You have to."

"I cannot – I will not do it!"

"There is no other way. Someone has to go in and work their way to the heart of the Black Organization so that we can rip it out and bring them down. You are the only one who can."

"I don't know where you're getting this idea that I could do something like this. I'm just a high school student!"

"So? I am, too. Was. Whatever. Doesn't matter, we're already involved, like it or not. Besides, that's not all you are, is it?"

"…"

"You've done that. You can do this. I can't, or I would, you know that."

"Unfortunately. You would."

"So. Will you? We'll help as much as we can, you know we will."

"No. If it's going to work, it'll have to be a one-person job. They'd notice any repeated contacts."

"You'll do it, then?"

"…I'll think about it. The fact that you need that 'was' doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence for any plans you come up with."