Writer's note: Another fun prompt from my good friend, Crafty!
An angry growl bounced off the elevator walls as Sergeant Calhoun slammed the heel of her hand into the control panel. It was no use beating the piece of hapless machinery; it was plain to see that the elevator wasn't going anywhere.
She'd tried prying the doors open, but the elevator had stopped in just the right spot where she couldn't climb up or down – meaning it was stuck exactly between two floors. The ceiling was so high she couldn't reach the escape panel. Why the hell did the creators of Hero's Duty have to measure things in such massive lengths?
It'd take hours for her soldiers to free her. She didn't have the time to sit around twiddling her thumbs waiting for them to cut through 2 inch thick iron. She needed a quick fix, and Calhoun knew just who to call.
"Kohut!" she called over the com-system.
"Yeah, Sarge?" the raspy voice of her second in command answered.
"I need you to call in a favor for me."
Fix-It Felix was quite bewildered when a Hero's Duty soldier marched his way into Niceland. The Nicelanders, holding an outdoor party near the lake, gasped at the sight, freezing in place as they watched wide-eyed. The soldier trekked right up to Felix, towering over the handyman like a modern-day goliath.
"Are you Fix-It Felix Jr.?"
"Y-yes, sir," Felix stammered.
"Sergeant Calhoun is in need of your services."
"Miss Calhoun!" Alarms went off in Felix's head. He hadn't seen her in almost a week since they said their good-byes in Game Central Station after helping save Sugar Rush. He'd wanted to call on her so badly, and the anticipation was jittering his nerves. But the lady said she'd call him, and now - Tamora needs me!
Felix's chest puffed out. "Lead the way, sir!"
Calhoun stared at the dusty floor, following the triangular pattern with her eyes. She'd given up pacing several minutes ago, resorting to sliding to a seat against the elevator wall and drawn legs up to her chest. She didn't like being alone when stationary, and she certainly didn't like being trapped. The two together made for a dangerous combination. Her thoughts wandered to unpleasant things; haunting things that she could ignore when distracted by the cacophony of battle. Here, alone, with only the triangular pattern floor as her company, she felt the pressure of anxiety clinch her chest.
Calhoun aggressively ran fingers through her wayward hair, pushing back to her feet and grabbing her com-system. Where in blazes are-
The sound of machinery powering up echoed through the shaft. Calhoun steadied herself as the elevator lurched downward then smoothly continued descending. She let go of the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in.
They'd located Fix-It.
When the elevator halted at the bottom floor of the tower, the stoic mask of Sergeant Calhoun was back and her sharp eyes scanned the soldiers awaiting her as the door slid open, daring any of them to comment on her misfortune. "What're you all standing around like lumps? Back to your posts!"
As the soldiers walked away, her gaze fell on the small handyman staring up at her with hope and relief pouring off his face. She'd said she'd call on him (though this wasn't exactly the call she had in mind), and if she were honest with herself, Calhoun had been putting it off because of her own fears. She liked Fix-It far more than she wanted to admit. Now that he was standing in front of her again, it wasn't easy to avoid the attraction she felt toward him.
"Are you okay, Miss Calhoun?" Fix-It asked, wringing his hat. "When one of your soldiers said you were trapped in an elevator, I got all kinds of worried for you."
His mannerisms spoke more than his words did. Calhoun could tell how much it bothered him that she had been trapped in the elevator, and she was reminded of the Nes-quick sand incident and how being trapped in there caused him to panic. "I'm fine, Fix-It." She offered him the tiniest smile. "Thanks for coming."
Fix-it slapped his hat back on. "Your welcome, ma'am! I'm happy you're okay."
A beat of silence fell between them as Calhoun finally decided that this was the time for action. She wasn't going to put him off any longer. "I need some R 'n' R tonight. Wanna grab a meal with me at Burger Time?"
Fix-It's face lit up. "I'd love to, Tamora! I mean-" His smile faltered as if catching himself making a mistake.
Calhoun chuckled, feeling better already. "It's Tamora."