Once again, the disclaimer....I don't own it...*clings to imaginary Heero and Duo* But the Storm peoples, ya know, Iz, Kal, and Trin, they're mine.

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Heart of the Storm

Chapter 4

Later that night, Kalli, Izreina, and Une were sitting in the living room of a large apartment.  Kalli handed each of them a cup of tea before sitting.

“I don’t think she’ll be coming back, this time, Une,” said Kalli staring into her cup.  “She took her Gundam with her.”

Une shook her head and sighed.  “We should have been able to predict something like this would happen.”

Izreina nodded.

“Iz, you’ve been inside her mind.  I know you haven’t wanted to talk about it, but did you find anything that would help us as to where she’s been going?”  Kalli looked at Izreina.

Izreina shook her head.  “She’s got too strong of a block up.  The only surface thoughts I picked up were about the mission we were on at the time.”  She sighed.  “I had a serious headache for three weeks after that.  I was hoping you and I both could have gotten through.”

“We probably could have.”  Kalli sat back in her chair and crossed her legs.

“90% of Preventer HQ knows about the trouble we’ve had with Tempest.  Even though they don’t know who you guys really are.”  Une took a sip of her tea.

“Trowa Barton knows about Kalli.”  Izreina stared into her cup before setting it down on a side table.

“It was by chance.”  Kalli glared at Izreina.

“Sure it was.”  Izreina glared back.

Une shook her head.  “All of the Gundam pilots will know before the week is out.”

The two of them looked at Une.

“Something is going on, and I have a suspicion I know what it is.  You two are not going to take on this thing by yourselves.”

“Une, you don’t think that Sarris Barton is planning something.  He doesn’t have enough influence on what’s left of the Foundation.”  Kalli uncrossed her legs and leaned forward.

“But he has a great influence on Trinity.”  Izreina looked at Kalli.  “And, Trinity has a great influence on the Foundation.  It does give us an explanation for her behavior.  We all know her history with this guy.”

Kalli nodded.  “I know.  But, she’s been so loyal to us.  She holds this trio together.  At least, she used to.”

“Kal, we’ve gotta face the facts.  The way she’s been acting when she’s here, and her continuous disappearances, we have to assume she’s betrayed us.  There’s no other explanation.”

“I refuse to believe that.”   Kalli stood up and walked over to the window behind Izreina and Une.  “Well what about her children?  Michael.  Nika.  She can’t just go off and leave them behind.”

Izreina stood up and walked over to her, laying a hand on her shoulder.  “Kal, she hasn’t cared for them like she should.  When she’s here, she only confuses them.  They know that she’s their mother, but she acts, sometimes, like she doesn’t want to have anything to do with them.  We’ve been their mothers more than she has.”

Kalli stared out the window for a long while.  “You may be right.  But until we have solid evidence…”

“I know,” said Une as she stood up.  “If she hasn’t returned in one week, I’m sending you two and the Gundam boys after her.  She has no way of knowing about the tracking device we put on her Gundam, so you should be able to find her.”

Izreina and Kalli looked at her.  “If you put a tracking device on her Gundam, why didn’t you say so?”  Izreina walked over to her.

“Actually, it slipped my mind.”  Une straightened her jacket and made her way to the door.

“Sure it did.”  Izreina folded her arms.

“One week, you two.  And in the meantime, I suggest you tell your brothers about this before I do.  I’m already going to have to confront Heero.  That, I’m most definitely not looking forward to.”  She opened the door.  “Good night.”  She walked into the hallway.

“Good night, Une,” said Izreina, following soon after her.  “Good night, Kal.”

“Good night, Une, Iz,” said Kalli, closing the door behind her.  “Trin.  Why have you betrayed us?”

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The cockpit hatch of Maelstrom opened.  Tempest stood up and stepped out of it, onto the walkway.  She removed her helmet.  Two officers met her and led her down the walkway out of the hanger.  She was met by Sarris Barton, one of the last remaining officials of the Barton Foundation, and one of the youngest.  He was a year older than she was.  He had short blond hair and brown eyes.  He was about six feet tall, average weight.

He smiled.  “Nice of you to bring your suit along, this time.”

“They know,” she said monotonously.  She met his eyes.  “At least, they suspect.”

He frowned.  “You have what you need from them, though, right?  You won’t be returning to them?”

She shook her head.  “No, I won’t be going back.  But eventually, they will come looking for me.”

They began walking down the hallway.

“And what will you do when they come?”

She remained silent.

“Trin, you’ll have to kill them.  They are your enemy.  And the enemy must be destroyed.  That includes your brother.”

She stopped.  “I can’t do that, Sarris.”

He faced her, letting his hand push her bangs out of her face.  “You’ll have to, Trin.  And you will.”  He placed a light kiss on her forehead.  “When the time comes, you will.”  He continued down the hallway.

Trinity followed a few steps behind.  He’s right.  I’ve become too close to them.  I’m letting my feelings get in the way.  Then again..., she looked up ahead to Sarris then looked down to the floor as she continued.

That’s what got you into this in the first place, isn’t it, Trinity?

Sarris doesn’t know about Michael, or Nika.  She sighed.  He won’t know about them.  I can’t drag them into this.  They’re safer right where they’re at.

 Trin, bury your thoughts.  Forget about them.  You’ve shown your so-called “friends” that those kids mean nothing to you.  Forget them.

I can’t.  I’m worried about them.

You’ll have to, if you want to make it through alive.  They’re only holding you back.

I can’t forget my children and I can’t kill Izreina, Kalli, or Heero.

You’ll have to.  You chose this path and there’s no turning back now.  You had your chance.

I can’t kill them.

You have to.  And you will.

I won’t.

You will.

Trinity dropped her helmet and fell to her knees, grabbing her head.  Sarris looked behind him and ran over to her.

“Trin.  Snap out of it.  Get a hold of yourself.”

I will not.

You will.

I will….

That’s right.  You will.

The pain finally subsided.  She looked up to Sarris.

“Trin…”

“I’m alright….I’m...very tired.”

Sarris supported her and led her down to her room.  After making sure she was comfortable, he left.

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Izreina stepped into her room, shutting the door behind her.  She kicked off her shoes and walked to her chest of drawers and pulled out the top drawer.  She changed into her pajamas and sat on the bed, pulling out the ponytail holder that held her long braid.  She ran her fingers through the braid, pulling her hair free.  She picked up the brush that sat on her nightstand and ran it through her tangles.

Leia knocked on the door and poked her head in.

“Iz?”

“Come on in, Leia.”  Izreina continued to brush her hair.

Leia walked in and sat at the foot of her bed.  “Iz.  Eric found this while he was doing his last maintenance check on Maelstrom.”  She handed Izreina a small disk.  “I think it will help you guys.  It’s not complete, though.  Very fragmented.”

Izreina laid the disk on her nightstand next to her brush and muttered, “Thanks.”

“Iz, I know how much this is upsetting you and Lightning.”  Leia took a hold of Izreina’s hair and began re-braiding it.

“How could she just leave Michael and Nika like she did?  I know damn well she cares for those kids.”  She closed her eyes.  She could feel tears forming.

“Maybe that’s why she left them.  They’re safer at Preventer HQ than they would be with her, right?”  She wrapped the ponytail holder around the end of the braid.

Izreina nodded.  “I suppose you’re right.  But, still…”

“Iz, this hasn’t been told to anyone, not even Une.  But, Trin has something wrong in her mind.  It confuses her.  Even though it doesn’t show on the outside, her mind is constantly battling.  It gives her severe headaches, and she can’t control it.  One side of her fights to get the other to submit to it.  And right now, that’s what’s controlling her.  Unfortunately, there’s no way to stop it.  No way that I know of.”

Izreina looked at Leia.  “I’ll find a way.”

Leia nodded and stood up.  “I know you will.”  She walked to the door and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

Izreina sat in the dark.  I’ll find a way…Or die trying.