y6


six

The guard at Relena's office grimaced. Another loud thump from inside. The fifth one in the past three minutes. Wufei hadn't returned to let her out and he was getting worried. Utterances, barely within earshot, were made, but mostly there were unnerving noises. Inside, Relena was trying her best to make it sound as if she'd been destroying her office, to cause someone to burst in and free her exit. But it didn't happen. All she'd succeeded in doing was moving around furniture and breaking her mobile golf set and testing the warranty of her brief case.
Gulping harshly, the guard twitched when there was a crash. On the other side of the door, Relena was whacking the bullet proof floor-to-ceiling windows with a golf club. Nothing but a helluva frightening back lash and reverberating screech as the plastic refused to give way to forceful blows from her athletic gear. She put the club away and looked around for another way out.
I can stand for certain amounts of arrest, she murmured, climbing up onto her desk, but this is the last straw. If it wasn't the Romefeller Foundation or Mariemaya, it's Preventer. It's about time that I show them that I'm not as fragile as they think.
She dug her fingernails beneath the paneling and tugged the air conditioning grill from its grounding. Relena chinned herself up to peer into the darkness. Dangling half in and half out of her office, Relena tried to rationalize what she was doing.
I certainly feel childish. But, it's all for my own good.
By the time she'd clawed her way completely into the duct, Sally opened the door with Heero in tow. She swore and looked around at the disorganized mess. Relena stopped to listen, then miscalculated the strength of her awkward bearings. Her heeled feet were the only thing holding her up in the vertical duct, and she barely was able to get herself to a better, horizontal placement. Instead of staying there, banging around in the metal fixtures, she slipped and went reeling downward through another drop. This time, she burst through another duct just outside of her office. Dangling by the same heeled feet that were causing her such trouble, Relena wailed and caught sight of Heero through her hair that had draped over her face.
I told you she needs close supervision, called Wufei, from his own office across the way.
I'm tired of this, Relena spat, I'm tired of being patronized and pampered like an expensive vase. I deserve to live the way I see fit and not be followed around, walking on egg shells for the rest of my life.
Sally nodded, looking up at her absurdly, I see your point. Would you like some help down, perhaps?
No, I got up here, I'll deal with it myself, thank you.
Awkwardly, she reached up and grabbed the inside lip of the air conditioning duct. Using a bit of gymnastic ability, she pushed herself back in and pulled the grill shut. Sally and Heero waited for her to come out, but she never did. Minutes passed, and Heero started following the sounds of Relena thumping through the ducts. She was moving through the office building, swearing every now and then, but also getting herself all the way into the stairwell. Heero stood near the only logical exit and listened to her approach.
I know you're out there, she said. Will you throw me down the stairs?
Heero chortled. I'm not that low. Just come out.
Relena came legs-first from the duct, with Heero helping. She got to her feet, miffed by dust and crud from the air ways. Heero rubbed a bit of grease off of her face and grinned at her.
What are you smirking at?