Cracks In The Mirror

Chapter Three: The Plot Thickens

By: Tracie Somebody

The clicking of photographs was heard echoing through the small house, and still Wufei stood looking at the broken glass. Other preventers dusted the house, and Zechs barked orders behind him, yet he couldn't move away. Something about the phrase 'The Mirrors Cracked' was familiar, but somehow out of sorts. He stood there looking at it until a young preventer, even younger then he was, came up to him in a rush of urgency.

"Sir, there's been another murder," Donald reported.

"Don't just stand here and tell me! Go get a team out there, the last thing we need is the police trying to take this investigation back into their own hands. It wouldn't be the first time they with held evidence," Wufei barked at the young man. Donald set out gathering a team and making a few phone calls.

"Wufei you head that site I and my team will stay here and continue to look this place over," Zechs said. Wufei nodded leaving just as Sally and Relena did. He chose to take the back door, so he wouldn't have to explain what was going on in front of Relena. The woman probably wouldn't be able to handle the bad news, she looked on the brink of tears already. No, much better not to notify either her or Sally of this incident until absolutely necessary, woman just couldn't handle these things.

He got into his black van and speed off towards 4519, Blueberry Street. When the half hour drive was over Wufei decided to call Heero. Taking his black cell phone he dialed the numbers Zechs had told him would connect him to Heero, but it was not ringing. Frustrated the young Chinese man tried again, this time, thankfully, it rang through.

MEANWHILE

Heero lifted his head out of the cold water and heard a ringing that could only mean one thing He picked up his cell phone and answered.

"Hello?" He said.

"Hello Heero," Wufei said. Heero was slightly shocked, he had expected it to be Zechs; how did Wufei get his number?

"I got the number from Zechs," Wufei explained before Heero even got a chance to ask. "Listen there's been another murder, I'm going over to check it out." Wufei stated.

"Hn" Heero contemplated this, "I'll be right over."

"You better make sure Relena has a guard while your gone Yuy," Wufei added.

"Hn" Was all Heero said, and then he hung up the phone. Wufei heard the line cut dead and so he clicked his off as well. 'Doesn't he even say 'Goodbye' on telephone conversations?!?' Wufei asked himself. Oh well, a couple weeks with a woman will change that Wufei smirked, he should know, Sally had done a little remodeling on him. Not that he'd EVER admit it but it was true, women weren't THAT bad. Wufei turned into the small drive way before him and flashed his Preventers badge in a police man's face. He parked his car behind a red Porsche and stepped out frowning at a near-by reporter who was exceptionally pushy in his demands to know what was going on.

"When I know I'll tell you," Wufei growled at the young man. The man retreated slightly.

"Wasn't that a Gundam pilot?" His camera man asked.

"Yeah, I think your right," The reporter said. And they watched Wufei's retreating figure disappear into the house. Wufei flashed his badge into a few more angry police faces. Then he made his way directly to the bathroom. He turned away the second he laid eyes on it, his stomach turning knots. 'Get a hold of yourself! You've seen worse then THIS!' his inner voice growled. 'But that doesn't mean it doesn't still bother me!' he growled back at himself. He turned his eyes back to the scene.

There on the ground was a young woman, but the only clue to her gender was the long blonde hair issuing forth from what used to be a head; all that remained of it was eyeballs pierced through and an indent where the mouth had once been. Even the hair was mangled and chopped in some places. Her clothes were just shreds of red cloth mixed in with the mass made up of chunks of skin and blood. Blood was every where, it coated the broken glass, and the once pure white walls, it soaked every inch of space with it's deadness giving off a smell so violent that Wufei choked with every ragged breath. On the board where the mirror had set, there was a single message, smudged as it was Wufei still made it out. 'As the mirror shatters an angel dies' Wufei shook his head, this would add to his nightmares for the rest of his life.

Meanwhile

"Argh!" Relena shouted, "Hilde come get Duo before I kill him!"

"What?!?" Duo asked all innocence. Relena glared at him. "So I told Zechs you and Heero were making outCome on it was just a joke!"

"You did what?" Heero asked from the doorway. Duo sweat dropped and backed towards the wall.

"Why is he always in the doorway at the wrong time?" Duo asked no one unparticular.

"What's going on here?" Hilde asked side stepping in. Duo wrapped his arms securely around Hilde's waist.

"Help me," Duo said hiding himself from Heero's line of vision. Heero's glare lessened slightly as he turned to Relena.

"I have to go, Trowa will guard you while I'm gone," and for the first time people notice Trowa's lean frame propped against the wall. Relena nodded, between annoyed glances in Duo's direction. Heero left giving Duo one extra death glare, and nodding goodbye to the rest of the room.

"YUY!!!" Zechs' yell echoed through the building. Duo cringed from where he was hiding behind Hilde.

"I g-guess he uh got the note I left him," Duo said offering a weak smile.

"Come on Duo," Hilde said pulling Duo by his braid. "You're going to be the one explaining it to him." Duo protested all the way down the hall and into Zechs' office. Relena slouched down into one of the chairs and sighed.

"Trowa do you happen to know why Heero left?" Relena asked. Trowa eyed her over considering the question carefully.

"Yes," Trowa said.

"Well?" Relena asked. Trowa glance sideways at her still contemplating something.

"Your not suppose to know, but I think you can handle it," Trowa started off carefully, "There's been another Mirror Murder, another young woman was killed in her home with the mirror shattered." Relena's eyes widened and then resumed careful thought; she didn't want the others to be right, she could handle this. It wasn't like she wouldn't have found out anyhow. She ran her hands through her hair.

"Was there another message?" Relena asked.

"I don't know," Trowa stated. Relena gave him a skeptical look. "I don't." this time firmer then before. Relena leaned back in her chair carefully thinking it over; she was the only one who had lived through these attacks She didn't, however, have much time to think on this subject; Zechs came in dragging a whimpering Duo behind him.

"Lemme go Blondie!" Duo shouted out-raged. Zechs frowned over his shoulder at Duo and dropped him on the ground. *Thud* Duo stood up and brushed himself off.

"Don't you think it would be best to let Relena have some peace?" Trowa asked nodding in Duo's direction. Duo scowled back at him.

"She's my sister I will decide when she" Zechs didn't even get to finish his sentence. *Whack* Relena hit Zechs hard enough to leave a huge red hand mark on his face and stomped away into the hallway and slammed the door. "What was that?" Zechs asked still looking at the closed door which had slammed just seconds ago.

"I don't know," Trowa told him. Duo smiled and raised his hand.

"I know the answer to that one," Duo smiled again under the stares off the two other men in the room. "You're a control freak, and it's beginning to tick her off. She wants her own space and her own rules, (And who can blame her?) She's almost 18 and you still act like you get to decide over every move she makes in her whole life" Duo was cut off by Zechs.

"That's enough Duo," Zechs ordered. "Trowa as soon as Heero gets back tell me, he and I are going to have another little chat." Trowa nodded.

"But I already told you the make-out thing was just a joke!" Duo complained. Zechs glared at him and left the room. Seconds after he left Relena re-entered. She was still a little red in the face but she had calmed down quite a bit.

"Feeling better?" Trowa asked out of general concern.

"Lots," Relena admitted. Trowa stood up full scale and went over to the counter retrieving both his and her jacket. "What?" Relena asked confused as she was handed her jacket.

"I'm going to take you to Heero's, I'll call him so that he knows we're there," Trowa said. "I highly doubt he'll want to head back here and have another chat with your brother." Relena nodded and followed Trowa out the door leaving Duo alone in the room.

She walk down the dull gray hallways that marked the Preventers Head Quarters with little interest letting her mind stray to other tangents. What was Heero's house going to be like? Where was it? In the middle of no where? In a large city? What was two weeks with a stubbornly silent boy for her only company going to be like? She didn't want to think about that one, she'd probably end up having to have a few attempted conversations with Mr. Brick Wall. No that wasn't true, Heero wasn't a brick wall, Heero actually glared at you instead of just completely ignoring you. Before she knew it, her feet had carried her out of the building and into Trowa's car. She buckled her seat belt wondering if Trowa was any better at driving then Heero. The car started off gentle and smoothly, and for a split instant she felt warm bubbly relief swarm into her. It was then jerked from her as Trowa hit the gas peddle. Relena gripped the seat for support. She was going to need it