Cracks In The Mirror

By: Tracie Somebody

Chapter Eight: The Search

"You have no idea how glad I am that I wasn't in here when this happened," Duo said staring wide eyed at the scene of smashed chairs and other broken odds and ends laying all over Heero's room. Duo got a worried look in his eye when he saw his friend, well to be honest, his BEST friend hunched over breathing heavily and not responding. Duo kicked a chair leg a little ways over and sighed. "Don't worry we'll find her," Duo reassured him.

"Just go away," Heero said between what sounded like, but no It couldn't be Duo gripped Heero by the shoulder and turned him, with surprisingly little trouble, to face him. Oh my gosh it was possible

"He-Heero? Are you crying?" Duo asked. Heero glared at him, and Duo could tell that what crying Heero had done was over.

"If you ever tell" Heero warned. Duo put up his hands in surrender.

"Hey, I have no intentions of putting myself in such a position," Duo told him, "I'm to afraid you might do what you did to this room to me," Duo looked around once more. "Why?"

"Hn" Heero couldn't tell Duo something he didn't even know himself. The pain in his chest had felt like it was ripping him in two, but it wasn't physical pain. He knew all about that kind of pain, this was different. He had gone into his room still thinking of what had happened, of what had happened to her. Then, before he knew it, he had felt like kicking something, and once he started he couldn't control himself, a new, more powerful, need to continue had taken over his better judgment.

"Oh I see," Duo got a smirk on his face, the one that told Heero that he knew something he didn't. It was a very annoying look. "This wouldn't have anything to do with her would it?" Duo asked, knowing the answer whether or not Heero would admit it.

"Change the subject," Heero said pointing a gun at Duo. Heero sounded confused, almost hurt.

"How about we go down stairs and see what they've come up with?" Duo offered. Heero put away the gun still wondering why he had gotten so offended by just a question. It had touched a nerve, one he didn't think he had. Lately though he had been more emotional then he had ever been before it was starting to worry him.

Meanwhile

"Twenty-two bottles of beer on the wall. Oh I give up," Relena looked at the clock. 2 hours 57 minutes. Impatience crept up in her. She calmed herself from the fear and urgency that was creeping in as well. They would come, they had to come. Oh, why wouldn't they just get here already? She felt another lump in her throat, she wondered if he was happy she was gone. Heero, that is. He had looked so angry after she kissed him, that and taken back. She had almost felt the hatred. How could she have been so stupid? It was stupid. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. She wondered from the dark part of her mind if she didn't mind it here all that much. It was better then facing Heero right?

One fear exchanged for another, but which was the greater fear? She didn't know. At this moment she felt so completely lost and afraid she almost cried. She had come to this point before, and alls that had kept the tears at bay was to sing that ridiculous song. It had kept her mind off things for awhile, but not long enough. No where near long enough. She lay back on the metal table and stared at the dim light hanging above her, swaying slightly with the movement of the rooms air conditioning.

"Twenty-one bottles of beer on the wall. Take one down. Pass it around"

Back To The House

*Snag* Trowa captured a confused Duo and pulled him aside in the dark hall way and motioned for Heero to move along. Heero walked away and didn't even look back. Duo smiled.

"What's up?" He asked confusion was obvious in his voice.

"What happened with Heero upstairs?" Trowa asked. Duo gulped. "Spill it," Trowa warned the shorter pilot.

"Heero tore up his room really bad, it was already done when I found him. Then I saw his face," Duo paused, "Trowa, he was crying. If we don't get her back I don't know what he'll do. He really loves her, he's just got to see it."

"I'm working on it," Trowa told Duo. "I'll probably need your help."

"No problem." Duo shook off Trowa. "Is there any news on Relena's where-abouts?"

"Yeah we found it," Trowa told him.

"Hn" Heero's voice was unheard by the other two pilots. He had stayed back to see what they had to say and he was glad he did. Memo to self: Make Duo sorry that he can't keep his mouth shut. Second Memo to self: Find out what Trowa means by 'I'm working on it'. Heero took a short cut into the living room so he would reach it before the other two.

"We found it," Zechs told the others and he sifted through a pack of papers in his hands. "It's a small naval base, just out side of Portland Tennessee, USA," Zechs passed around packets and each pilot looked theirs over. "It looks as though they were using Simon Pax to mislead us, a minor inconvenience in tracking them, but we managed to by pass security."

"What do they have planned?" Quatre asked, the quiet fear evident in his voice.

"Mobile suites," Zechs told him, "Lots."

"What he means to say is they've been up to this for quite some time. It's a wonder how we didn't pick it up before this. Although it is possible that they just started their internet broad-casting now, since they seem very sure of them selves." Noin put in, "And who can blame them. If they are as good as they say, they have a reason for being so bold."

"Where's Relena?" Heero demanded.

"In this facility, as far as we can tell she will be held there until 12:56 am, exactly 4 hours from when she was kidnapped," Noin's eyes were hard and scrupulous now. "No heroics here, we have a plan, we follow this plan. Nothing changes unless I say so. Is this clear?" Noin asked eyeing Heero. "She means a lot to all of us, but we just can't afford to take these people down just yet. So this mission is purely a rescue mission."

"Mission accepted," The murmur carried through the room. One voice remained silent.

"Fine," was all Heero said. He went to the door and grabbed his jacket, the others followed.

"Let's go," Zechs ordered. They all walked out the door discussing different aspects of the mission.

AN: Well what CAN I say? Just read the rest of the story. I hope you like it. If you did PLEASE e-mail me. I'm very desperate for comments. My address Is traciesmail@earthlink.net