Mission Accomplished: Bad News
Relative disclaimers apply.

"This is Mary Magrid with this Mediatone Night-Flash. The Hawkins-Jones Corporation has just announced that it will file for bankruptcy at nine a.m. tomorrow morning. In our news broadcast earlier this evening, we reported that the Crystal Museum and the Potax Manufacturing Company were each contacted by their banks for mortgage default. As all this has happened within the space of a few hours, there are suspicions that these events are connected. But since each company is served by a different bank, there is no evidence to support these suspicions. Frank?"

"This is Frank Bobbin. Yes, Mary, this has been a very interesting day, and I'm sorry to say, the Winner and the Peacecraft families may very well regret letting these profitable properties go. But neither of them has been available for comment for the past two days. Their estates sent out statements that they are on business trips. They sure are very busy young people, aren't they, Mary?"

"They sure are, Frank! As you and our audience may remember, the Hawkins-Jones Corporation, which belonged to the Winner family, is an accounting firm. The Crystal Museum, which belonged to the Peacecrafts, was on the verge of reaching ten million in annual donations. And the Potax Manufactuing Company, which also belonged to the Peacecrafts, made environmentally-safe laundry and dishwashing products for both businesses and consumers...."

The proprietor of The Wending Arms had no problems with revealing the chewing gum in his mouth as he talked. It was a sight the three young people had to force themselves to ignore.

"I got two rooms free. Just two."

He looked Relena, Quatre and Wufei over as though they were contestants for a contest that only he knew about.

"Which two of you gets one?"

"Well!" an embarrassed Relena exclaimed, and showed all of them her back.

"She gets one," Quatre said irritably. "How many beds in each room?"

"Just one. You want more, it'll cost you more."

"We'll just have to squeeze into the other room, and keep an eye on her in shifts," Quatre mused aloud.

Wufei folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm not sharing a bed with anyone. Not even for one night."

The proprietor scowled.

"What is she, a runaway princess or something? I know her face from somewhere but I ain't sure."

"Can't we go somplace else?" Wufei demanded rather than asked.

"There's not enough time," Quatre said.

"Dammit," Wufei muttered.

The proprietor looked around for, and eventually found, a battered college-ruled notebook.

"Cash, credit, or debit? I don't take checks, they take too long to clear."

"Wait," Quatre snapped at him.

The man drew back.

"Good freakin' grief...you paying or leaving? I ain't got all night."

"Wait a minute, damn it! There will be three more."

The man grinned.

"Oh? Girlfriends? Boyfriends? You get a discount if I can play too."

Relena gasped, then whirled and grabbed Quatre's arm.

"We are leaving."

Quatre was still irritated. Reflexively, he too whirled, and suddenly Relena was in his arms.

"Starting early?" the proprietor half-joked, half-hoped.

"It's too late to leave. And there are no phones here, so I can't call anyone to get us. And even if we did leave, we'd stick out like a sore thumb," Quatre firmly pointed out.

She winced.

"I..."

I don't like this! The situation, or the feeling.

He briefly closed his eyes, exhaled, then moved his hands to her shoulders.

"Please."

"By the way, they ain't next to each other," the proprietor said with false guilt.

"What crap is this?" Wufei spat out.

Quatre released Relena.

"Fine," he said with forced patience. "How much?"

"Two hundred per person."

"Crap!" Wufei spat.

The man shrugged.

"Fine. The Ritz this ain't. One hundred. Since you didn't make reservations."

Wufei's eyes widened.

"You mean people come out here on purpose?"

Relena exhaled.

"Eighty-five, and we'll cook our own food."

"Lady, this ain't no place to be trying to bargain."

She glared at the proprietor.

"I suggest you accept the offer."

He stared at her.

"You're Relena—"

"Fifty."

His eyes narrowed.

"You conniving little bitch. Fine. Fifty. But you get the basics. No soap, no towels, no toothpaste, no hot water, no powder for your little nose."

Quatre heaved a sigh, then nodded.

"Deal."

The man's eyes widened.

"You ain't even gonna get a relief pot."

"I said it's a deal."

Quatre dug into a pocket.

"Write 'Bob and Jane Smith' down, and it'll be cash."

Heero glanced at the sky.

It's about nine o'clock. And all is well.

Each of his footsteps echoed back to him as he entered the hotel's parking lot. But after two or so hours of walking through the neighborhood, he was used to the empty sound.

No sign of Trowa or Duo. This place must be clean. One of them would be out here to tell me otherwise.

A relative handful of lights were on behind curtained windows, a welcome sight in the dark.

Heero half-smiled and walked a little faster.

Duo should still be awake. He can watch her first. I'll take the next watch.

The proprietor didn't even look up from behind his battered desk.

"They all went upstairs."

Heero froze. He had a sudden suspicious feeling.

"How many rooms?"

"Two. Rooms —"

"Never mind."

Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!

He worked his way down from the top floor, knocking on randomly chosen doors (and annoying several people but not caring) until one knock was answered by Duo's very sleepy "'Lo?"

Heero exhaled, very deeply.

"Open. This damn door."

"Can't. Bed 'gainst door. Heaveee. Too tired. Balkanee door lock'd. Man got key. But maybe went bed. Go check."

Heero held his breath and tried to count to ten in his mind.

He made it to three.

"If you don't open this door—"

"Go check. Man. An' Miss Relena downstairs. Go see."

Heero quirked an eyebrow. Something definitely wasn't right here. Duo was speaking too well for someone who was supposed to be exhausted.

"Open the door right now you piece of sh—"

"Heero, please. The situation's intolerable enough as it is."

Heero whirled. He'd been so busy trying to get into the room that he hadn't sensed Relena's presence.

"How long have you been there?" he demanded.

She sighed.

Heero stared at her, unaware that his look was probing.

She looked exhausted, annoyed, embarrassed and offended.

But not surprised.

She bowed her head to avoid his look, but she felt its heat.

Please don't be angry with me. It's not my fault. I just came up to see who was going to come back down with me.

"I had a feeling. But I didn't think that they would do anything."

He exhaled and made it all the way to ten.

They better hope they're here in the morning.

He showed her his back.

"Let's go."

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